Love Is A Battlefield
by ButteryflyFarie
Summary: ABANDONED. Currently being re-written and re-published through "Push the Limit".
1. What In The Name Of Merlin's Underpants?

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except Alana and the plot. Everything else is the amazing JK's. For now... MWAHAHAHA! Ahem... I'm okay...**

It seems to me that all stories start the same. Well, the good ones anyway. 'Once upon a time… handsome prince… true loves kiss… happily ever after…' yadda, yadda, yadda.

Well, you get the idea. But all these stories have one thing in common; they're not true.

That's right. Sorry to all those out there who were damn keen on Cinderella and her step-sisters, or even Ariel and her fishy tail. It's all make-believe by some psycho out there who'd had one too many fire whiskey's if you ask me.

I mean, think about it logically. We all know that Fairy Godmother's are so wrapped up in their own lives that they would never take the time off to visit some poor rag girl orphan _just _so she could go to a stupid ball and lose a shoe. And _come on_, since when do _mice _talk?

And the only thing beautiful about a mermaid is their sharpened pitch forks, which no doubt are about to be plunged somewhere which doesn't bear thinking about. And, _hello_? How can they breathe? They don't even have _gills_.

So, after that small lesson, we both know that fairy tales are make believe. Which brings me on to my story. This - unlike the other rip offs out there - _is _true. Well, most of it anyway. A few details may become a _tad_ exaggerated, but, hey, that's life.

So, it all started on the 31st August, 1977. Well, actually, it all started a couple of years before that, but I'll come to that later. I'd just come back from a meeting with _His Royal Highness _and was attempting to climb through the window that led to my bedroom.

I know, I know. 'Why didn't you just apparate?' I hear you all saying. Well, have you _heard _the noise it makes? And wouldn't that just take away the whole 'quiet' perspective? Yeah, I thought so.

It was about 3:00am and no doubt my father would be asleep after the amount of alcohol that would be in his system, and the headache that he would have in the morning would result in myself tiptoeing around him for the rest of the day. Honestly, it was like living with an active time-bomb.

So, I climbed through my window that I had - tactfully - left open before I went out and attempted to skirt around the pile of school books that had unfortunately been left beneath my escape route. After the effort that I had gone through to make sure that I wouldn't make any noise to wake up _him_, it seems that it was all for nothing. The pile of books that I was trying so hard as to not knock over, were subject my shoe as I slipped on the windowsill.

The books collapsed and fell sideways, which knocked over my cauldron, which in turn knocked into my owl's cage. And believe me, Taffy can be heard for miles around. It wasn't like she could have been outside hunting for mice either when this little incident occurred. Oh, no, Merlin forbid. Taffy's afraid of the dark, just one more abnormal thing to add to my list. Who's ever heard of a owl who's afraid of the dark?

So with all the ruckus, my father awoke and decided to barrel into my bedroom, baseball bat in hand and prepare to 'beat up' the 'burglars' that were no doubt stealing his beloved vodka. In my bedroom. Because obviously, that was the place where all burglars decide to steal his alcohol. Please, note the sarcasm.

I'm just grateful that he was still under the influence, because he only grunted when I decided to tell him that I 'fell'. Personally, I think he was still half-asleep. When I went out to make sure he hadn't fallen over the banister in his attempt to navigate back to his bedroom, I saw him laid in the hallway, snoring away without a care in the world.

I quickly changed into my pyjamas and brushed my teeth before snuggling under the covers for a couple of hours kip. I was just dozing off when it hit me. My eyes opened in surprise. For three whole hours it had been September 1st. In exactly eight hours I would be boarding the train to Hogwarts. I couldn't help but smile as I thought of the glorious castle that I had called home for six years. And this would be my last.

My mind became filled with memories of the past few years in the castle. Brenda Musgrove being locked in the Vanishing Door on the fifth floor for two days because no one could find it again to let her out. Lucius Malfoy being subject to humiliation after someone swapped his hair gel with Sally Simpson's Super Strawberry Hair Dye. The time I broke my arm after falling from the school broom in first year. And, of course, the time that changed my life forever.

In my fifth year I was talking with Severus Snape in the Charms corridor after a test that we had both just been subject to.

"It was horrible, wasn't it?" I asked him rhetorically, "I mean, seriously, who cares if someone can make a pineapple dance across a table?"

He chuckled slightly and then suddenly became quiet.

I looked at him sideways.

"What's up, Sev?" I asked and he stopped in the middle of the corridor.

"We're friends, right?" he asked, and I nodded in response. "What if I told you," he continued, "that there's a person out there who could make our dreams come true?"

I laughed out loud.

"I'd say, 'What fairy dust have you been smoking and where can I get some?'," I replied and leant against the wall, "Come on, Sev, this isn't another one of those talks where you try to get me to come with you and join What's-His-Face, is it?"

He shook his head.

"It's too late, Ally," he told me and rolled up his sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark, "I've already done it."

My eyes widened at the sight and suddenly I felt sick to my stomach.

"Why, Sev?" I asked him and rolled down his sleeve once more.

"You know why," he replied, "I'm fed up of not being able to make a difference. There's people out there who have no right to be in our world. There's Mudbloods and blood-traitors everywhere you look, don't you want to get rid of that?"

He walked away before I could answer, and I sank to the floor.

We were friends, alright, but his mind was clouded with obscene thoughts of blood-traitors and muggleborns. If the time came, he would tell his 'master' and sooner or later he would make me join his forces in some way. I felt I had no other choice and so with a deep breath I made my way to the stone gargoyle that marked the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

In all the years that I had been at Hogwarts, not once had I visited him. I hadn't felt the need. But now, I didn't know what else to do, and he was meant to be the greatest wizard of all time, right?

After a few guesses of sweet names, the staircase finally emerged at 'Cockroach Clusters', and I made the frightening way up to Professor Dumbledore's office.

I knocked on the door timidly and he answered immediately.

"Enter," he called, and my shaking hand reached for the doorknob.

My small frame filled the entrance and he looked up from the letter he was writing.

"Ah, Miss Thomas," he said and placed his quill in the holder, "Please, come in. What can I do for you?"

I stood before his desk on shaking legs until he gestured for me to take a seat. I didn't know why I was scared at the time, but it occurs to me now that merely being in the presence of someone so powerful was something that frightened me.

"Well, sir, honestly I didn't know who else to turn to."

His eyes filled with concern and he conjured me a cup of tea, which surprisingly had a sherbet lemon the side, and asked me to tell him my problem.

And I did.

Once I started talking, I couldn't seem to stop. I told him everything, of how Severus had been begging me to go with him to see Voldemort all year, too frightened to go himself. When I refused the last time he asked, it seemed that he had gathered up the courage that was inside of him and finally gone himself. And today, finally, he had shown me the Dark Mark and once again asked me to join him. And now, I didn't know what to do.

Throughout the explanation, Dumbledore's eyes slowly filled with sympathy, which I knew was for Severus. We both knew of the troubles of his home and it seemed that by joining the Dark Lord, he felt that these troubles would disappear.

I knew differently.

"I'm afraid, Miss Thomas, that this a serious incident. Tom Riddle is a very dangerous wizard and it shocks me slightly that he would be recruiting followers at such a young age like yourself." He stopped suddenly and seemed to be an inward battle with himself.

"Miss Thomas, I understand if what I am about to say scares you. Heaven knows, I am slightly frightened myself. And you must understand that you have every right to call me a crazy old coot and refuse the option."

My eyes filled with confusion. What in Merlin's underpants was he talking about?

"Tom Riddle, or as he is known today, Lord Voldemort is a very dangerous wizard. With his current rise in power, myself and a few others have found it custom to do our very best to be prepared for any dangers we may face. However, our forces have become, shall we say, less reliable. We cannot base our plans on hear-say alone.

"Miss Thomas, how would you feel to become a spy?"

After a few minutes thought, I knew what he was asking of me. If I joined forces with both of these sides, I could be the most help to winning a war that no doubt would be upcoming.

"Sir, I'm not going to deny that I'm scared out of my wits. And Merlin knows, I'm not one to get scared. But I'm going to accept your offer. If I can help win over this Grindelwald wanna-be, then I'm going to do everything in my power to do so."

From here I was an immediate member of the Order of the Phoenix and had regular lessons with Dumbledore on how to block my mind from intruders such as Voldemort. When he felt that I was ready to start my mission, I accepted Severus' offer of joining the Death Eaters.

And from there, my life has never been the same.

I was doomed to be a regular Slytherin, to hate everyone and for everyone to hate myself. It was so much different from what I was meant to be and I knew first-hand what would happen if I played anything but the big bad Slytherin.

But in the year and a bit that I had been part of both forces, we had made a great change. People became weary of the crazy man who called himself Lord Voldemort and I became more and more focused on my task. I was part of an inner circle, and though I made my distaste for certain activities - such as Muggle Baiting - were known, the Dark Lord still trusted me with information which could help us have an upper hand.

I shook my head and forced myself to thing of things in the present. I was going back to Hogwarts; my true home.

And with that thought, I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to claim me.

I yawned as I was awoken by Taffy, my owl, screeching like there was no tomorrow. I knew my father had probably gone to work, nursing a headache that he would have for the whole day, so it didn't worry me that he would hear her cries.

She began to peck at the lock that I had attached to her cage and smiled slightly. As she was afraid of the dark, she refused to leave her humble abode at any time of day except morning, and though this made it much more difficult for her to hunt, it was great to have a reliable alarm for the morning.

After unlocking her cage and my regular morning activities, I made sure that I had my school supplies for the bus ride ahead. With a satisfactory nod, I made my way to the window and whistled for Taffy to come back to her cage. We had a long journey ahead of us and I would let her out on the train anyway. In no more than a minute, she balanced herself on my windowsill, a small - but clearly dead - mouse dangling from her beak.

"Oh, you clever girl," I told her whilst gagging inside, "Did you catch that all by yourself?"

She gave a confirmative hoot, and in doing so, the mouse dropped onto my carpet with a dull 'thud'.

Her eyes widened in confusion at the law of gravity, before decided to savage the creature then and there. I left her to her snack and emptied a small box of treats into her cage in case she got hungry during the trip.

Glancing at my watch, I saw it was time to start our journey.

"Come on, girl, into the cage," I told her and opened the door for her to enter. She gave me a look which no doubt would have been a glare if she'd had eyebrows.

"Don't look at me like that," I said, "Come on, into the cage."

She gave a unhappy hoot and nipped my fingers once before hopping into the cage.

Gathering my things and making my way downstairs, I left a small note on the table to tell my father where I was going and that I would - unfortunately - see him at Christmas.

With my trunk and Taffy's cage in tow, I made my way into the street and reached for my wand. After waiting impatiently for an elderly Muggle woman to turn the corner, I held out the wand and prepared myself for the 'bang' that was to follow.

In no time at all, the purple triple-decker bus appeared and a middle aged man with slightly greying auburn hair was stood before me, reading from a card.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus. Emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is-"

"Yeah, yeah, Paul, I've heard it before. Can I get on now? My legs are killing me."

He glanced up from the cards and smiled when he saw my face.

"Alana! It's great to see you, sweetheart. Back to Hogwarts already?"

I nodded my head and handed him the sickles needed for the ride.

He carried my trunk on board and I took a seat at the front of the bus, just next to the entrance.

"We'll be there in a minute," he told me and set my trunk near his feet, "just got to drop Madame Marsh off."

My eyebrows disappeared into my hairline.

"She's here again? She practically lives here now, doesn't she?"

He nodded his head solemnly.

"Personally, I think she fancies the new driver. Ernie Prang, started last week."

He nodded towards the front and I grimaced. Bad taste, Madame Marsh, very bad taste.

In no longer than five minutes, we had picked up three more passengers and I had witnessed a slightly green Madame Marsh being led off of the bus by Paul and I had finally arrived at Kings Cross Station.

I thanked Paul as he handed me my trunk and made my way towards Platforms 9 and 10. With hardly any time to spare, I ran through the barrier and - surprisingly - found an empty compartment.

I relished in the thought of a quiet train ride, when who would enter but Lucius Malfoy and his fellow cronies. I sighed deeply and took to staring out of the window as they made small talk.

It was halfway through the train ride, and Lucius was laid opposite me, his head resting on Narcissa Black's lap.

"Oh, yeah," he said, his lips curled into an arrogant smirk, "the Dark Lord is this close-" he held his thumb and index finger just millimetres apart "-to taking over. I have a… feeling." I resisted temptation to snort. Feeling? He would have a better chance of it sounding plausible if he said he was a hippogriff.

Everyone knew he was a Death Eater, he flashed his Mark about enough to make sure even the little first years knew. And the Dark Lord taking over? He was as close to taking over as Hufflepuff were to winning the House Cup.

I quickly excused myself and made sure I was a good ten metres down the corridor before I burst out in gales of hysteric laughter.

"I'm sure that's a sign of madness," I heard from behind me, "Laughing to yourself in a deserted corridor."

I looked behind me to see Lily Evans walking along the corridor. I knew she meant it in a joking way, Lily wasn't one to be the mean girl. But I was. It was all part of my image to pick on other people; especially Mudblood Gryffindor's.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Mudblood," I sneered at her, "You better watch your back this year, Evans."

Lily looked at me through disappointed eyes.

"I'm Head Girl this year, Thomas, I won't have to."

"If Dumbledore made _you_ Head Girl this year, it seems that he really _has _lost it."

I turned on my heel and stalked towards the bathroom.

I had just finished my - _ahem - _business when the train lurched forward suddenly. I fell into the basin, my legs dangling over the side. Rubbing my bottom slowly as I stood, my eyebrows furrowed in confusion as the lights began to flicker.

It was then that I realised my breath was coming out in short bursts, the air turning cold around me.

Dementors.

Oh, this was sodding brilliant, this was. All I wanted was an uneventful train ride, but no, I get dementors.

I grabbed my wand and began to walk along the now empty - and dark - corridor, listening for any signs of distress that could insinuate a dementor attack.

But halfway along, I found the exact opposite. Inside a compartment, the sound of laughter could be heard through the din.

Laughter?

What in the name of Merlin's underpants?

I pulled open the compartment door and saw - who else - the Marauders.

In the same year as I, but all Gryffindor's, the Marauders were the 'it' people of Hogwarts. All of the boys wanted to be them and all of the girls wanted to be with them.

The only manageable one was Remus Lupin, and that was only on good days.

The laughter ceased as soon as my frame filled the doorway.

Sirius Black stood and folded his arms cockily over his chest. To say we didn't get on would be an understatement.

"Well, well, well…" he said and Peter Pettigrew chuckled stupidly to himself, "If it isn't the Slytherin scum."

James Potter shuffled uncomfortably in the seat beside him and looked down towards his feet.

"Honestly, I knew you weren't the shiniest potion bottle in the chest, but even _you _could see what's going on?" I asked them all, and smirked when they looked at me in confusion.

I sighed exasperatedly.

"Dementors," I said in a 'duh' tone, and had to suppress a chuckle when the other three jumped up and grabbed their wands in the way of a true, courageous - but stupid - Gryffindor.

I left them to their devices and continued down the hall, feeling rather pleased with myself as I reached the end with no signs of distress reaching my ears.

As I was about to pocket my wand and walk back to my compartment, a sudden sound reached my ears that made me cringe.

The high pitched scream of a little girl.

I ran towards the source of the noise, knowing full well that I would never forgive myself if I didn't make it in time.

I halted towards the front of the train to see an image that still haunts me to this very day.

A young girl, no older that twelve, had passed out under the figure of a dementor.

It is well known that a dementor will not care who it attacks in it's way to get to what it needs.

Without a thought, I whipped out my wand and cast the _Patronus _charm. All that appeared was a slight mist, but it was enough to direct the figure's attention to myself.

All I knew before darkness claimed me, was a loud 'pop' and a bright light. Afterwards, I knew no more.

**AN:**

**Okay, so I've gone and re-wrote it all. :D**

**I'm going to do it for every chapter, well, most, so any new readers, tell me what you think!! :D**

**Hope you enjoy. **

**xo**


	2. Slytherins And Gryffindorks

**Disclaimer: HA! I own EVERYTHING! –JKGlares—Err... Okay... I own everything that JK doesn't own...?**

"Do you think she's dead?"

"How the Azkaban can she be dead?"

"She's breathing Wormtail!"

"Yeah, but my Great Aunt Gladys was still breathing when she died."

"She didn't die! She went on holiday to the Caribbean 'cause she thought the bloody Grim was chasing her."

I groaned and brought a hand to my head.

"What in the name of Merlin's underpants…" I tried to sit up, but took it as a bad job when the room around me began to spin in all directions.

I closed my eyes tightly and laid back down on what I suddenly realised to be a compartment seat. "What happened?" I asked rhetorically and all of a sudden everything came flooding back to me.

The train lights flickering, the sudden lurch as it came to a stop, falling in the sink, and roaming the corridor before hearing the scream of a little girl and a soul-sucking monster above her.

I gasped in sudden realisation and sat up suddenly, ignoring my body's protests for me to lay back down.

"The girl! Is she okay?"

Five pairs of eyes looked at me in surprise and I cleared my throat and my hand rubbed my neck in embarrassment.

"What I mean is, erm, did that dementor get the little midget, then?"

James Potter shook his head in amusement and folded his arms across his chest.

"No, she's fine. A little shaken maybe, but no serious harm. Remus gave her chocolate to calm her nerves."

Lily Evans, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew nodded in confirmation, but the other member of the compartment sat sulkily in the corner, staring into the ever darkening landscape outside.

"Dumbledore came to get rid of the dementor, I don't think I've ever seen him so angry," Lupin continued when an uncomfortable silence enveloped everyone. "He asked us to make sure you were okay."

I snorted.

"I didn't know you would care about a slimy Slytherin even if it_ was_ under Dumbledore's orders."

"I didn't know you would care for anyone in general," Black retorted from the corner, "But you seemed mighty concerned for that girl. What, she got a Death Eater future ahead of her?"

The air crackled with tension and no one dared to breath.

It wasn't something one joked about during those times. Every tabloid included something about Voldemort and his Death Eaters terrorising some Muggle neighbourhood and slowly but surely the Muggleborn deaths were rising to a considerable amount.

"Not every Slytherin's a Death Eater, Black," I responded and even though it was the truth, I wasn't exactly denying the fact that I was one.

He made a noise which sounded a lot like 'pfft!' then went to stare moodily out of the window again.

"You'd think it would be a clue," Evans said, "that those cronies who follow you everywhere don't give a damn that you could've been as good as dead a few minutes ago."

I laughed slightly.

"That's the difference between Slytherin's and Gryffindork's. We save our own hides before we go gallivanting off to save someone else." I ignored the fact that the others were looking at each other in an obvious way of saying 'but she went to see if other people were okay first'. So, yeah, I was totally contradicting myself, but so what?

"And you can call them cronies if you like," I continued, and once again everyone's attention was directed at me, "But there's a few other names I like to call them." I stared pointedly at Black, then muttered, "But nothing I can say in front of youngsters."

Lupin chuckled, hiding it with a violent cough once everyone gazed in his direction.

Mentally, I smiled. He may be a Gryffindork, but he was one of the best out of the bunch, that's for sure.

Once again, silence enveloped us all. Just as I was about to make a quick exit before they could grill me with yet more questions, Black's voice stopped me once more.

"So, since everyone else seems to be skirting around the subject," he said, his eyes not leaving the reflective glass, "Why'd you really save her? You said yourself that Slytherin's save their own backside's before anyone else's. Why're you so different?"

I raised my eyebrows in his general direction.

"What? You actually _listen_ to me? Well, round of applause for that sudden bout of intelligence."

This time Lupin didn't even chuckle slightly. They were looking at me with serious (no pun intended) looks on their faces, child-like curiosity peeping through in their eyes.

I sighed deeply.

"Well, let's just say that I'm not exactly the worst Slytherin around, no matter how stupid or mean or gullible you make me out to be, eh?"

Without looking back, I walked out of the sliding door, making sure it slammed against the wall with quite a force.

Who did they think they were?

Poking their noses in my private business like they actually cared about me.

I snorted again and a small smile quirked at my lips as I found the Slytherin compartments.

I had to suppress a guffaw of laughter as I saw the look on Lucius' face. He looked a lot paler than usual - and given his already pale complexion - giving him the slight air of a vampire. When I walked through the door, his icy blue eyes met mine in fear, obviously thinking it was another dementor attack.

In a sudden bout of confidence, I took a seat opposite him, the room silent besides the laboured breathing that came from his chest. Narcissa was looking at him in concern, gently laying a hand upon his shoulder. As he shook himself slightly to rid the fear, I took my opportunity.

"ARE you okay, Lucius?" I asked, raising my voice at the first word and making it pierce the silence around us. "You seem awfully jumpy today."

He seemed to rise a foot from his seat, whirling to meet my gaze before him. I gave him a sarcastic smile and settled back in my seat for the rest of the journey.

Slowly - and not without a few nervous giggles - the conversation around me slowly rose, making the tension in the compartment melt away. Before long, it was as if the dementor attack never happened and that was fine by me - it left me to my thoughts.

A week before summer began, Professor Dumbledore called me to his office. I was now a regular visitor and the meetings between us became less and less uncomfortable. I now saw him as a mentor and a friend; not someone to be feared.

"Miss Thomas," he had said to me, "The recruits for the Order of the Phoenix are becoming more and more infrequent. I had hoped to not take a leaf out of Tom's already tattered book, but it seems I have no choice."

I raised an eyebrow and attempted to lighten the situation.

"Come on sir, you're not really telling me you're going to take a leaf out of Voldemort's book, turn into a raving lunatic and attempt to take over the world, one school at a time?"

Dumbledore chuckled and the twinkle that I was so fond of returned to his eye.

"No, no, my dear child," he said, "I am merely suggesting that we recruit more members for the Order. However, our Ministry spies are finding it more difficult to suggest trustworthy candidates. And so, I think it wise to ask Mr Potter, Miss Evans and their… group of friends to join us in the fight."

I simply nodded my head.

I knew Dumbledore would not continue without my consent, and although I would not be necessarily telling them my secret, the risk of my double identity becoming revealed would be increased.

After that Professor Dumbledore quickly briefed me in on the reasons he thought the Marauders and Lily Evans would join the Order.

Helen and Harold Potter were both Auror's and devoted their time and effort to two things; their only son and their work. James grew up with the love of his parents behind him, but they were both swarmed with the work of an Auror. Before long, they became high in the hit list of the Dark Lord. He felt they were a danger to him and so he did the only thing he found best: he got rid of them. Luckily - or unluckily as the case may be - James had been visiting Remus a few counties over, leaving him without harm. From that day, James had been looking for a way to bring the cold blooded killers to justice. The Order was that way.

Lily's story was also similar to James', hers altering slightly in a few ways. Rose and Thomas Evans were Muggles and were therefore only subject to a Muggle-baiting game for the Death Eaters. Never the less, they were also killed. Lily was also out of town, visiting a cousin in Egypt. Her sister Petunia was in Surrey meeting with her fiancée's parents and it wasn't until the next day when the news was broken.

It was general knowledge that Sirius was different from his family. Augusta Black wasn't a Death Eater. Far from it actually, but she believed the same theories that the Dark Lord did. According to her, every Muggleborn had no right to be in the wizarding world, and the Potters - some of the biggest blood traitors around - were not to be acquainted with, no matter how far back their pure blood ancestry may have gone. Ever since Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor and James had become his best friend - his brother - his family had turned on him more than before, and in Sirius' eyes he had no choice but to do something about it. And the Order was there to help.

Remus' reasoning was simple; he wanted to help. Defence Against The Dark Arts was his best subject, and he would no doubt either become an Auror or a teacher. Although there were no severe experiences with the Death Eaters, he had plenty of Muggleborn or 'blood traitor' friends that he would do anything to stick up for.

And finally, Peter's reasoning was also simple. Although - like Remus - he had had no first hand incidents with Voldemort, anyone could see that he wanted to make a difference in the world. And the Order could help him to do so.

It hadn't taken a lot of persuading for me to agree to the offering and I knew that the five Gryffindor's would be a great asset to our side.

I just hoped that they wouldn't kill me when they saw me in the meetings.

The shrill blowing of the train whistle brought me out of my thoughts and without a word I stood and walked through the sliding compartment doors. Before long, I was in the threstral drawn carriages that were making their bumpy way towards the castle.

It wasn't until I caught site of the building with it's winding turrets and thousands of windows - all ablaze in a heavenly light - that I realised with a deep pang in my chest how much I would miss the place when the end of my final year came.

The four long magnificent House tables were set with hundreds of plates and cutlery, floating candles in the centre of each. Taking a place at the top end of the Slytherin side, I waited patiently for the Sorting to begin.

I vaguely remembered what my Sorting was like a few years previously. I had been so nervous my legs were shaking, but once the hat fell down over my eyes, I felt a strange sense of calmness.

"Ah," a voice had whispered in my ear, "Thomas was it? Yes, I knew your mother well… A Ravenclaw she was, full of intelligence…You are also a smart one, but that is not the House that would suit you… No, certainly not. There is one place that would suit you extremely well, but, I cannot mess with fate can I?"

As a small, timid eleven year old, I was still in awe that the hat was actually _talking _to me that it wasn't until Professor McGonagall was lifting the hat from my head and the end table of Slytherin's bursting into applause that I realised where I had been sorted.

The doors to the Great Hall now suddenly opened with a dramatic whoosh, showing the ever sinister Deputy Headmistress stride ahead, a small stool in one hand and a ragged hat in the other. The crowd of First Years followed behind her, gazing in wonder at the glorious hall.

"Gather around here please," Professor McGonagall exclaimed to the First Years and she placed the stool before them with the had on top.

The hall became silent, no one daring to breath as they awaited the next move. With a deep breath, a severe rip in the hat's brim suddenly opened and it began to sing.

"_Once again I am here_

_And you know what's in store_

_I must divide you all apart_

_Into the houses four_

_Simply place me upon your head_

_And in your thoughts I'll find_

_A place in which I am sure_

_You will find your kind_

_Will you belong in Gryffindor_

_Of the daring, brave and bold?_

_Where courage is shown in it's depths_

_Or so the story's told_

_Or perhaps you would prefer Hufflepuff_

_Where loyalty is most blessed_

_But even those of hard working kind_

_May not overcome the test_

_Maybe Ravenclaw's the one for you_

_Filled with intelligence and grace_

_But even those with sharpest mind_

_May not unearth a place_

_Or how about good Slytherin_

_Where ambition is the peak_

_But even the most cunning of folk_

_May not get what they seek_

_But all in all, these houses four_

_That now make up this home_

_Each include a certain quality_

_That deep inside you roam_

_But I must warn you in this song_

_Of the traits that make up our school_

_Live inside of everyone_

_Every clever man or fool_

_You are all no doubt alike_

_For together you share a trait_

_Magic runs throughout your veins_

_And you are brought as one by fate_

_But now it seems my time has come_

_To continue with a grin_

_Step up, dear child, don't be afraid_

_And let the sorting now begin!_"

Applause erupted around the Hall and the look of wonder was still settled upon the First Years faces. I chuckled slightly to myself as I realised that I must have looked exactly the same not too long ago.

"Now, when your name is called, simply step forward and sit on this stool. I will place the Sorting Hat on your head and you will be sorted into one of the four houses," Professor McGonagall stated in her usual 'no nonsense' voice and began to read from an extremely long roll of parchment, starting with "Atkins, Poppy".

Not long later, the Slytherin table was erupting with food of all kinds and were home to six new First Years, all of whom were staring each other down across the mahogany wood.

The feast lasted longer than I preferred it to, wanting nothing more than to take a long night's sleep in my awaiting bed in the Slytherin dorms. It was common knowledge that the Slytherin Common Room was situated in the dungeons, but what everyone didn't know was where the dorms were.

By some crazy spell that one of the Founders had cast, the presumed short walk from the dungeons to the dorms were actually transporting the person all the way to the East Tower.

It was one of my favourite spots if I was honest. To look out of the window along the lake, the Forbidden Forest in the distance, the stars above…

Whether the bed was waiting for me or not, I had to endure the frightfully long speech that Dumbledore had prepared, for some strange reason ending in, "Good night and bless you all" before casting a spell to shower us all with sherbet lemons.

I didn't even know there _was _a spell to conjure sherbet lemons.

With a shrug, I began the daunting walk to the dungeons.

It was just my luck.

I spent half of the feast complaining to myself that I wanted nothing more than to go to bed, and now that I was here, I wanted nothing more than to be out exploring the castle!

I leant out of the window and gazed at the stars, my dorm mates gentle - or in Narcissa's case, extremely loud - snores filling the room behind me.

After trying my best to name the constellations from my last Astronomy lesson, I took it up as a bad job as I couldn't decide whether the one above me was Andromeda or Cassiopeia.

With a deep, self pitying sigh, I lent my elbows on the ledge and my head on my hands, looking out in the deep, dark depths of the lake below. The moon cast an eerie glow on the surface, making the rippling water glisten like a thousand diamonds in the coolness of the night.

It was a strange thing - to believe that something so dark and dangerous could be so beautiful.

It was only a few minutes later - when I was asking myself whether Narcissa's snores could actually _get _any louder - when the crawling figure of a creature could be made out against the darkness. The silhouette took up a position next to the lake, sitting there as if admiring the scene before it.

Grabbing a cloak to keep me warm and my wand in case of an emergency - like the creature being a carnivorous teenage witch eating monster - the curiosity overtook me and before I knew it, I was making my way to the mysterious beast outside.

**AN:**

**So, here we are guys!**

**The second chapter is officially rewritten.**

**Let me know what you think!! :D**

**Stacey**

**xo**


	3. Flesh Eating Kneazles?

The halls of Hogwarts were deserted. It seemed like the entire world had decided to sleep, falling into a deep slumber that left me alone in the world.

I nearly laughed aloud when I realised that my wonderful wisdom was completely overridden when Filch rounded the corner, his two cats following closely behind.

You see, there are two things you need to watch out for with Argus Filch: Hogwarts Caretaker Extraordinaire; number one being his odour, (I mean, seriously, that man has never even heard of a shower), and the second being his two cats, or, more specifically, his cat and her kitten.

It came a shock to all of Hogwarts when Putsy the Caretakers Cat gave birth to a new kitten. For one, we all thought Putsy was a he, not a she, so when Filch announced to Dumbledore during dinner a few months ago (with tears of happiness in his eyes, may I add) that good ol' Putsy was up the duff, then more than a few of us fainted in shock.

And secondly, we had no idea how Putsy had found the… manly parts to make a new kitten. I mean, we thought she was a he for a reason - she's not exactly the prettiest of cats in the world. Let's just say that somewhere out there, a not so happy father-cat is trying to hang himself for a drunken night out with 'the lads'.

Either way, Mrs Norris (yes, I did say Mrs Norris - the kitten's not even turned one yet and she's already 'married') seemed to have inherited her mother's stalker genes, because no matter where you seemed to be going, whether to the secret passageway to the Astronomy Tower or the flipping bathroom, Mrs Norris was always there, mewing away like you were actually doing something wrong, not the fact that you were about to pee yourself if that stupid cat kept blocking the door to the ladies.

So, obviously, as soon as I saw Filch round the corner with his two stalker-cats in tow, I knew I had to find a good hiding place (and fast) or risk the 'Hanging By Your Thumbs In The Dungeons' speech again.

The best place I could find in short notice was behind the tapestry of Leyland the Lost (a stupid man who decided to venture into a forest the size of Russia) whilst holding my breath so I wouldn't be noticed and also so I didn't have to breath in that foul odour emitting from our beloved caretaker.

"Oh dear, my pretties," he wheezed to his cats, "Looks like someone's out of bed… And at this time at night?" he gave a 'threatening' chuckle and leant down to pick up a stray slipper that someone had left after a late night rendezvous, "Looks like I'll have to take that up with the Headmaster… Don't know what kind of dangers you might encounter on a night like this… Werewolves… Vampires… Flesh eating kneazles… Wouldn't want that to happen now would we?" He laughed again out loud, and I swear to Merlin that the cats both snickered. I am not kidding.

Thankfully, they all must have been high on cat-nip, because they ignored my obvious presence behind the tapestry and continued down the corridors, rounding the corner and leaving me with the odour that can only be represented as 'Filch'.

I scurried away as fast as I could, leaving the smell behind me as I ran towards the huge doors that led out to the grounds, before taking a sharp left and exiting through the smaller door to the side. It was conveniently placed for 'smaller visitors' such as goblins and such, but taken to the fact that no goblin has ever visited Hogwarts before, it was just considered to the students as a great way to sneak out.

The creature was still sat at the same place that I had last seen it, give or take a few centimetres. It was shaded by the moonlight by a huge oak tree, one of the many places that I had spent alone during lunch times. Next to the tree was a conveniently placed boulder, big enough to climb on to.

I took a deep breath and raised my shoulders a bit before making my way towards the creature.

It wasn't until it let out a threatening growl that I realised that this 'creature' that I was so scared of was in fact a dog. It's shaggy hair was tossed around, giving it the 'windswept but gorgeous' look that was so common in obnoxious, egotistical boys now-a-days. It was large, a lot bigger than any other dog I had ever seen. It was jet black in colour and had an uncanny resemblance to the Grim, a dog like creature mentioned a few million times in every Divination lesson.

I sighed as the dog growled again and turned to look at me, heckles raised in annoyance and grey eyes piercing my own as I stared straight back.

"Don't mind me, Fabio," I told the dog, keeping eye contact whilst trying to climb on the boulder, "I'm only here to stargaze."

I broke the awkward staring contest between us as I fell, slipping on the rocks surface. I muttered a few obscenities that I wouldn't be mentioning to my father's priest, and I swore that the dog snickered at my misfortune.

What is it with animals and forms of laughter tonight?

I finally reached the top of the boulder and collapsed in exhaustion. All of the drama - plus the horrible odour from our beloved Hogwarts Caretaker - had left me shattered.

"Merlin," I murmured, more to myself that the dog who pricked up an ear to listen, "How sad am I? I can't get a dog - probably the Grim no less - to like me, a fact that I will probably chastise myself for when I end up dead, I can't get anyone else to like me, I spend my afternoons basking in the stench of a caretaker and wondering how his cat got pregnant… Such a glorious life…"

I sighed in self-pity.

"Merlin, I wish I could drop the façade for once." I bared my teeth in a humourless grin and gazed towards the sky. "If I could just once, just once, be serious then I'd be happy…"

The dog gave a bark, sounding a lot like laughter, and looking down, his tongue was lolling out in amusement, grey eyes twinkling against the moonlight.

"Look at me… giving a dog a human-like personality… I really need to get a life." I smiled, this time genuine and lent down to scratch the dog behind the ears. His leg thumped against the floor manically and I laughed out loud.

"If only getting everyone else to like me was this easy," I smiled and patted him on the head.

"Maybe it'll all change soon though." I whispered, withdrawing my hand and ignoring the whine that followed, "You know what Dumbledore's like. 'Anything can happen, Alana, just believe…' Merlin, I'd think that man was crazy if he wasn't so brilliant…"

A yawn interrupted my thoughts and took over my face in an unattractive manner.

"Looks like I'm more tired than I thought…" I said, hardly taking into consideration that I was, in fact, talking to a dog, "Will you be here tomorrow?"

The dog seemed to look at me with a sardonic gaze as if saying, 'I'm a dog, you fool, I can't speak'.

I smiled at my own mistake.

"Fine then, don't answer. You still need a name though."The dogs head (that was at that moment in time on it's way to lick an… area) suddenly flipped up to face me.

"Yep, that's right, a name. Now, myself, I've always been partial to those Muggle names that they give their dogs… Like… Rover!"

The dog seemed to stare at me blankly, clearly not impressed by my choice.

"What? It's original! Fine… How about Scruffy?"

It's head went back to licking the… area.

"Merlin, dude, too much information right there! Keep it to yourself, would you?!"

The dogs head slowly moved up to meet my gaze a gave a heavy sigh.

"Fine, I'll hurry up," I continued, "How about… Snuffles?"

The dog collapsed on a heap in the floor, showing that the names I was sprouting of was not the best choice for him.

But at this time, a huge yawn racked my body and my eyes half-closed in exhaustion.

"To be honest, I don't care if you'd rather chew your own leg off that have me call you Snuffles, I'm knackered and I want to go to bed."

I slid off of the boulder and scratched him behind the ears once more, the leg once again going haywire.

"See you later, Snuffles," I said, and made my way towards the castle and towards the inviting bed that awaited me.

I looked back as I neared the castle doors, and as my gaze settled towards the spot I was just moments before, I noticed that the creature had gone.

The next morning, I awoke to the not-so-quiet early morning routine that my fellow dorm mates had decided to start to 'beautify' themselves for the upcoming school day. I wouldn't have minded, really I wouldn't, but the fact that the regime was a teensy tiny little way from breaking the sound barrier didn't settle too well with me.

I ignored all of the annoyed shouts of protest as I burst into the bathroom and pushed the girls out, intent on taking a shower before the classes begun. Honestly, I was only in an hour and they were acting like I'd broken a rule or something.

Before long, I was making my way towards the Great Hall, my fellow Slytherin seventh year girls only half-way through their 'beautifying' techniques.

My eyes were half closed in exhaustion as I made my way to the Great Hall on auto-pilot, the smell of bacon and seven years of roaming the halls leading me to my destination with no unfortunate 'walking into walls' incidents.

I was just about to open the doors that led into the Great Hall when a shout of my name stopped me in my tracks.

"Miss Thomas!" the voice shouted, even though I had already stopped walking.

Professor Dumbledore hobbled towards me, dressed in a variety of purple and yellow robes, his point hat equipped with an entire galaxy of stars and constellations.

Scarily enough, it suited him.

"Ah, Miss Thomas," he continued, "I'm so glad that I could catch you before you entered the Great Hall. I wouldn't want to draw any… unneeded… attention." Yeah, and the previous shouting of my name throughout the whole castle doesn't draw unneeded attention at all.

"I just wanted to say, that over a tea party with Professor Slughorn's second eldest sister's niece's brother, I noticed that I haven't told you some very important news…"

He lent in towards me, and I also lent forward.

Important news?

Had Voldemort killed again?

Had someone found out that I was a Death Eater?

Had Filch finally taken a bath?!

As the tension reached its peak, Dumbledore stated, "Fire bird has landed, I repeat, fire bird has landed."

Well, to any normal person, that would mean that he was about to tell Lily and the Marauders about the Order of the Phoenix, but lately he had found a fascination with Muggle spy movies, ending all of our meetings with 'Over and Out'.

Afterwards, he gave a jolly wave and skipped into the Great Hall.

Yes, there he was, an old wizard with a beard longer than I am, skipping through some double doors and he doesn't want to draw attention…

I slapped a hand to my head in exasperation and followed him through the doors, the smell of bacon taking over my stomach.

I sat down at the far side of the Slytherin table and piled my plate high with the glorious bacon that I had become so fond of.

I was just in the midst of conjuring up a make-believe plaque (an award for the house elves for 'Best British Bacon of the Year') when a large - and I mean laaaaarge - shadow fell over my plate.

Looking up, I suppressed a groan and instead forced a cheery grin onto my face.

"Good morning, Professor Slughorn, and how are you today?"

Sluggy also pasted a grin on his face, but with he spoke through gritted teeth which made his many chins wobble. To be honest, I could see the resemblance to a walrus.

"I'm quite… fine… Miss Thomas. And you?"

"Perfectly spiffing, sir," I replied, and wondered how long we could both hold up the charade. "Is that my timetable I see in your hands? Hopefully I'll have you first, sir! What a way to start the day."

He gave a sarcastic smile and handed me the piece of upon it, I resisted the urge to bang my head on the table repeatedly and instead forced a laugh.

"Look, sir! I was right! Double potions first thing. Oh, happy days!"

He gritted his teeth once more and closed his eyes in annoyance before giving a curt nod and moving down the line.

I sighed and watched him walk away, his large backside wobbling like there was no tomorrow.

We had had a mutual distaste for one another ever since my second year when I accidentally-on-purpose blew up a cauldron.

It wasn't even the first time that it had happened, it was just the fact that my family wasn't well known and that I wasn't exactly the best potions maker around that he decided to give me a month's worth of detention for it.

Merlin forbid if Lily Evans did it. He'd probably GIVE her house points for 'doing it in style'.

As I downed my fourth cup of coffee, I picked up my bag and made my agonising way out of the hall.

I resisted the urge to run screaming to my dorm room as I thought about what was to come. Two bloody hours with Horace bloody Slughorn going on about how bloody awesome Lily bloody Evans was and how bloody fantastic it was that Lauren Peterson's bloody father had had a bloody promotion.

Once I arrived at the classroom - in the dungeons no less, honestly, what sane person has a classroom in the dungeons? - I was thrilled to find that I was only the fifth person there.

Two Gryffindor's were sat on the front row, frantically flipping through their textbooks as if their life depended on it, deep in conversation about Amortentia, the most 'powerful love potion in the world' and giggling away like children.

Lily Evans was sat towards the middle rows, rifling through her bag for a quill. She sat on the right hand side of the classroom with the rest of the Gryffindorks, and the Slytherin's of the left.

It was common knowledge that the two houses don't mix.

If one side ran out of spaces, the person left over would rather sit on the floor than mix with the other house.

The last person in the classroom was Severus Snape.A couple of years ago and I would have been happy to see the one person who acknowledged me for who I was in this school, but ever since the devastating day in the Charm's corridor, I had avoided him like the plague.

I never forgave him for ruining my life, and opted instead to ignore him. Whether it was in school or Death Eater meetings, I refused to notice his presence.

Glancing quickly at my watch, I noticed that I had a whole twenty minutes before the start of the lesson. Twenty whole minutes to ignore the deathly glares from my once best friend, to ignore the annoying giggling from the Gryffindor girls and to ignore the pitying sighs from Lily Evans.

I slumped down into an empty seat, two rows behind Severus, the chair screeching against the floor tiles and echoing throughout the room.

After giving a mocking smile to the Gryffindor girls, I lay my head on the table and ignored the sounds around me (I swear, the giggling that was sounding throughout the room was more annoying that Narcissa's snores...).

My thoughts turned the girl that was no doubt gazing at me in pity and sympathy, wondering how she could work her 'magic powers' to help me in some way. No doubt, Lily Evans had tried to help me over the years.

We had been mutual friends of Severus Snape, but ever since the incident at the lake in fifth year where he had slipped up and called her a Mudblood – because of James Potter, no doubt – she had ignored him and turned her sights to me.

She didn't understand how I could still be friends with him after he had done something so terrible, so foul. I never told her (I hadn't even spoken a word to her that wasn't tormenting in two whole years), but I wanted to say that everyone makes mistakes. It takes a brave man to admit his mistakes, but it takes someone even braver to accept that it has happened.

We had both been friends of Severus', but we had never really found it in one another to be chums. I thought she was a stuck-up know-it-all and she thought I was a tag-along. But we had had a silent agreement to remain 'acquaintances' for Severus' sake.

So, we were never close. Even back in the day where we hung by the lake, I couldn't tell you what her favourite colour was, but I knew she cared for Severus, and that Severus cared for her. I was just a third wheel in their friendship, but I was still there.

After the incident at the lake, I had comforted Severus and Lily had gone back to her Gryffindor friends. She was accepted straight back into their group, and was made the Gryffindor 'Queen'. She had the traits; beauty, brains, nerve and the love-lust of James Potter.

Severus, however, refused to blame himself for the splitting of the friendship between them, and from then on until the rest of the year, he had challenged me to join the Dark Lord.

And before you knew it, there he was, showing me the mark and swearing vengeance on all Mudbloods in the middle of the Charms corridor.

But from this, I had ignored Severus – and Lily noticed.

Ever since then – which no doubt have been the longest two years of my life – she has sent me glances, opening her mouth, but not forming words. Wanting to ask me what was wrong, but not being brave enough to actually go through with it.

Gryffindor: The House Of Bravery? Yeah, my flobberworm's braver than , it would be if I actually had a flobberworm...

The bell rung, screeching and loud, and woke me from my reverie, and it was then that I noticed pretty much every seat in the classroom had been filled up.

Honestly, someone could've cast an Unforgivable and I wouldn't have noticed...

Slughorn finally burst through his office door, chins wobbling, ready to start the lesson, and I resisted the urge to laugh when he sighed deeply and tapped his foot when the Marauders sauntered in a few seconds later.

Seriously though, if that had been me, I would have been given at least a month's detention, but them? No, Merlin forbid!

His bald head shone brightly in the candlelight that was given around the dark room, and twiddled his walrus-like moustache a bit before getting to work.

"Now, everyone, I'm sure you all missed Potions lessons just as much as I missed having you. Some more than others..." he added under his breath, and winced slightly in my direction. "As you know, the seventh year of Hogwarts is the most important of all. Not only is it your last, but it is also your N.E.W.T year. I'm sure you'll hear the speech from every one of your professors, so I'll not bore you with the riff raff."

He wobbled over to his desk and sat behind it, turning around to face us once more.

"Oh, Miss Collins, it was wonderful to hear of your mother's promotion. Be sure to send her my congratulations!"

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. Another year, another way for ol' Sluggy to try to sound important...

No one could be important when they had twenty chins.

It was the harsh truth.

"Now, let's get to business." He waved his wand and two words were placed on the board in his usual, curvy handwriting. "This year, we will be focusing on one single potion and one potion alone. It takes a whole six months to brew, so we will be spending the first six months actually brewing the potion, and the remaining months on theory."

He stood up once more and walked towards the board.

"Now, can anyone tell me – exactly – what this is?"

He pointed towards the board and my heart stopped.

It wasn't until Slughorn said my name – in both surprise and annoyance – that I realised that my hand was in the air.

"Felix Felicis... Luck in a potion. Gives the drinker luck. Too much can cause giddiness, recklessness... Can cause over-confidence, but if it's used right then, I guess depending on how powerful the person, they can do anything... Like if Dumbledore wanted to take over the world with an army of socks, then if he used Felix Felicis right, the he could."

Slughorn glared at me again, and his cheeks began to turn red from the effort not to shout at me.

He gritted his teeth and gave me five points, before turning back to the board and continuing with the lesson.

He ignored me from then on, with good reason – he had never given me a single house point in my life, he was probably still in shock.

But I had bigger problems; bigger than Slughorn's clothes size (which was quite big in itself, to be fair).

I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand on end, as if someone was watching me, and, looking up, Severus Snape was grinning maliciously right back at me.

I stuck my tongue out at him and gazed back down at my table.

He knew.

He would tell Voldemort in a heartbeat that our project for the year was Felix Felicis and then we could all pretty much say 's'later' to the world as we know it.

If Voldemort got his hands on enough Felix Felicis to last him, then that good luck could allow him to do what he had wanted to do since being a teenager – and no, it's not getting laid.

He could abuse the power of the Felix Felicis to allow him to take over – and that wouldn't be too good now, would it?

I had to tell Dumbledore as soon as I possibly could, and if I got out of Potions in the midst of it, then that was just an added bonus...

I stuck my hand in the air, just as Lily was about to answer why we used crushed butterfly wings instead of caterpillar chunks.

"Sir," I said, "I don't feel too good. Can I go to the Hospital Wing?"

He pointed his sausage like finger at me and shook it, eyebrow raised.

"I know what you're doing, Miss Thomas," he replied, "Don't think that I don't know what you're doing..."

I resisted the urge to chuckle.

"You know what I'm doing? Pray tell, Professor, what exactly am I doing apart from telling you that I'm ill?"

"You're trying to get out of this lesson, aren't you?!" he cried, in a 'ah-ha!' kind of tone.

"Sir?" a fellow Slytherin asked, looking towards the back of the classroom where the Marauders were sat.

"Not now, Mr Crabbe," he replied, and looked back towards me. Meanwhile, I glanced towards where Crabbe was looking and noticed what he had seemed so worried about.

The four boys were chuckling amongst themselves and adding as many ingredients as they could get their hands on into the cauldron in front of them...And said cauldron looked an unhealthy green and was emitting purple smoke...

"Everybody down!" someone yelled just before the potion exploded, sending green gloop everywhere.

Slughorn – being as large as he was – didn't have time to crouch down, and was subject to a face-full of the mixture.

"You... You... You..." Slughorn glared towards the four boys who were sat sheepishly behind the cauldron, also covered in the mixture.I had never in my life wanted to thank them so much.

In the kerfuffle, I exited the classroom and ran towards the stone gargoyle that marked the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

"Good morning, Alana," the gargoyle said in a masculine voice. He knew me well from the times I had been to see Dumbledore regarding Order and Death Eater meetings.

"'Morning, Flossie," I replied quickly, wiping off some of the green gloop. "Can you let me in? I need to speak to Dumbledore. You know," I dropped my voice to a whisper, "urgent stuff."

"I'd love to, Alana," Flossie told me, deep voice echoing through the corridor, "I really would. But you need a password. Dumbledore told me not to let anyone in if they don't have a password. I think his exact words were, 'Flossie, my dear old gargoyle, if someone doesn't have a password, don't let them in'. You don't have a password, deary. I can't let you in."

I don't think he could have put the word 'password' in there more if he wanted...

"But... Flossie, come on, ol' pal..."

He simply shook his head and looked pityingly towards me.

Nearly hysterical, I started to shout random candies at the poor gargoyle.

"Sugar Quills. Chocolate Frogs. Sherbet Lemon. Cockroach Clusters!" I nearly cried out in exasperation, "Pear Drops! Bertie Botts! BON BONS!"

Flossie blinked at me a few times before chuckling quietly...

...Then slowly began to expose the long winding staircase to Dumbledore's office.

Bon-Bons? I thought to myself whilst I stared at the opening. Bloody Bon-Bons?

I climbed the stairs in a rush, taking them two at a time and then wondering why I nearly broke my shin on the stone material.

Reaching the wooden door that marked the entrance, I burst through without knocking to ask permission to go through.

Which, in itself, was a bad idea...

I mean, don't was nothing super bad like walking in to find Dumbledore and McGonagall going at it on the desk or anything...

But walking through the door, I was surprised to find the Minister of Magic talking to Dumbledore from behind the desk.

"Oops..." I murmured when I saw the scene, "Don't mind me, sirs... I'll just... erm... wait outside?"

I began to turn around when Dumbledore's voice stopped me.

"That is not necessary, Miss Thomas. The Minister was just leaving, weren't you, Minister?" He gave the man a meaningful look. Finally, the Minister got the hint walked towards the fireplace before flooing away."Now," the old man said as I sat in my favourite chair by the window, "To what do I owe this pleasure?" He began to pour a cup of tea, and gave me a bowl of sherbet lemons.

"First of all, I want to tell you to fire that stupid Gargoyle of yours and get another one," I told him seriously, popping the lemon into my mouth. "It took me forever to get into here..."

He chuckled and began to suck on his own sweet.

I sighed and closed my eyes.

"It's Potions, sir," I said quietly, "Sluggy – I mean, Professor Slughorn's started a new project."

Dumbledore smiled.

"Yes, I had heard some rumours from Minerva's second cousin twice removed that our Potions Master would be starting something new. What has dear old Horace planned for this year?"

"Felix Felicis," I mumbled.

"I'm sorry Alana, my ears aren't what they used to be, you'll have to speak up."

"Felix Felicis," I repeated, and time seemed to stand I could hear was the quiet squawk of Fawkes the Phoenix.

"I think we better have a word with the Professor," he said grimly , sherbet lemons forgotten.


	4. I Don't Even Like Grapes!

**Disclaimer: Me: Everything's mine! All mine!**

**Sirius: No it's not.**

**Me: Yes it is.**

**Sirius: No it's not.**

**--SiriusFlipsHair—**

**Me: --Drooling—Okay, Sirius honey, whatever you say...**

Professor Dumbledore got straight to work with the Felix Felicis, claiming that Professor Slughorn should immediately turn his attention to the 'Sock Searching' potion that – no doubt – was complex enough for seventh year students.

The discussion with Ol' Dumbles ended when he began to sing the school song ("Hogwarts, Hogwarts, hoggy, warty Hogwarts...") only in soprano. My ears couldn't handle the strain and so I left the office with a quick 'S'later'.

As I began the descent down the concrete stairs, my mind began to wander to the classes that I was about to endure in the upcoming hours.

...Professor McGonagall rambling on in her whiny Scottish tone on how 'NEWTs were the most important thing in a student's life' and how she would no doubt 'turn each and every one of us into a frog if we so much as failed one exam'.

...Professor Flitwick complaining in his high pitched squeak that in his first lesson, the First Years had exploded two cushions and decapitated the figure of Merlin on his desk.

So, that was lessons out of the equation.

The Great Hall held no pleasure for me either. I wasn't hungry in the slightest, and I would rather endure Minnie's speeches than counting how many plates filled a House Table.

Again.

It's 106, if you were wondering.

Making a quick decision, I changed my route in the middle of the corridor that led to the girl's abandoned toilets on the second floor.

I could hear Moaning Myrtle in the distance, up to speed on the latest 'depressing' gossip, as per usual.

Rather than continuing down the corridor, however, I turned completely on my heel and headed for the seventh floor, one thing in my mind.

I had psyched myself up for the journey, and my happiness deflated somewhat when I stood before an empty wall.

I knew what was 'behind' it, of course, but as I stood before it the blank canvas, I couldn't help but feel... lost.

Shaking my head slightly, I got to work on pacing in front of the small patch. I had stumbled across the area in my second year, when a gang of Fourth Year Gryffindor's had decided to try and steal my Potions essay.

They had cornered me on the Seventh Floor, and there I was, running from them with nothing on my mind but a hiding place that didn't exist.

As I had reached a few metres past the wall when one of the gang stepped out from a hidden passage at the end of the corridor.

And I was running straight for them.

I turned on my heel and began to run back, passing the wall before realising that the other thugs were still waiting for me at the other end.

I turned once more, and there, before my eyes, appeared a door.

I hid for two hours straight before deeming it safe to exit the room – which, miraculously, was a never ending broom cupboard – and after some research I found that the room was labelled, ironically, the Room of Requirement.

It had been my secret hide-away ever since.

I twisted and turned before the empty wall, and before my eyes a door appeared. I grasped the brass handle, and with a quiet 'click' the door opened.

A small smile graced my lips as I allowed my eyes to wander over the familiar surroundings, my haven.

The floor was covered in a dark laminated wood, mahogany if I wasn't mistaken, but I've never really been an expert on the different types of wood in the world. Over the wood, several large and equally fluffy white rugs covered the dark flooring, the contrast in the colours harsh and yet, oh, so inviting.

The north side of the room was a selection of instruments, a range from brass to wind to string. I didn't even know what half of the noise makers were called, never mind how to play them, but the mere sight of them was enough to calm my foul mood. I chuckled slightly to myself and the sound echoed throughout the room. How 'emo' was that?

Sheet music was vacant throughout the room. I had never taken the time to learn it, but my Music teacher from Primary school tried desperately to remind me that "Every Good Boy Deserves Football". I can have a vague memory of staring at her with a raised eyebrow before taking off to hit the gong and laughing at its echoing sound.

The south wall was also something to draw attention to. If the hundreds of instruments weren't enough, the opposite end of the room was definitely amazing.

The dark indigo wall was unrecognisable underneath the thousands of memories captured in a few single Muggle photograph. It was strange how the room seemed to know what my favourite past times were. Over half of the pictures were of my mother before she died – sadly missed, but never forgotten. There were a few of my father before the addiction of alcohol had driven him over the edge. A few of us three as a family loitered the space and the rest were of my younger years – visiting Grandma in Kent, playing in the sand box, begging my mother to buy me a puppy, eating 'Play Dough'...

I smiled and picked at a random photograph of my mother, staring at it with intent eyes.

Her long, blonde locks cascaded down her back in gentle waves, certain strands of it dancing in front of her vision. Her mouth was open in a smile, her teeth showing in a cheesy grin that, somehow, looked fantastic on her. The background was of a beach – a flurry of waves crashed to the shore behind her and families were laughing in content amusement.

My vision was drawn straight to her eyes. The only trait I shared with her, but by gum did I. Compared to mine, they were the exact same shade, the exact same shape. The only difference being a scatter of light freckles underneath each bottom eyelash that met at the bridge of her nose. It gave her the air of a young girl, not the middle aged woman she in fact was.

I folded the picture carefully in half and placed it in my pocket. I wanted her to be with me; I know she couldn't in person, but the photograph was the next best thing. And that was fine with me.

I grabbed the first instrument that I came in contact with, pulling the strap around my shoulders and allowing it to rest on my body.

A guitar.

Just like the other instruments, it was covered in a dark material with silver carvings and details. It was nothing like I had ever seen before and, to put it quite bluntly, beautiful.

I could imagine the newspapers already.

"Girl In Love With Instrument! Clarinet Babies Expected In Nine Months!"

Sitting down on the free couch, I began to randomly pluck at the strings, the high pitched sound surrounding me in the almost empty room.

I didn't sing, merely hummed along with the chords that I began to play.

As they entered my head, I played them – with no real sense of rhythm to the tune, it couldn't be classified as a song, but strangely enough, it still spoke to me.

At the time, I didn't notice a dark haired boy slowly open the door and his gray eyes peer into the gloom of the room. But, if I was honest, I didn't really notice anything.

I wondered if it was like being drunk, intoxicated by the music.

Was this why my father turned to alcohol for support?

If it was, I wouldn't blame him.

This was the best that I had felt in months!

My worries began to fade away as was replaced by a feel of peace, tranquillity. It was something unexplainable, a nirvana, a paradise.

As my fingers fell away from the guitar neck in sheer exhaustion, it was only then that I noticed I was strumming along to the made up song with all the energy I could muster (which wasn't a lot considering the events of the morning).

The door slowly and silently closed, and I pulled the strap of the guitar over my head, allowing the instrument to fall to the couch as gravity took hold.

I yawned, letting out an in-human screech as I raised my hands and stretched to the ceiling.

How could a person be this tired from playing an instrument?

My mind flicked back to the Muggle orchestra show I had seen on TV. The pianist – someone famous, no doubt – was playing away, fingers running over the keys with a professional air, sweat dripping from his face even though he had been playing no longer than three minutes.

As the final chords died away and the musicians rose to their feet, it seemed that all of them – not just the 'spazzy' piano player who jerked about a lot – were using all of their remaining energy just to stand on their own two feet.

My mind was brought back to the present as another yawn shook my body, and I lay back on the fluffy cushions that loitered the couch.

Just a five minute nap, I had told myself.

Because, obviously, everyone knew that a 'five minute nap' was just an excuse to enter REM sleep without anyone getting on your case about it.

My eyelids slowly became heavier, and before I knew it, I couldn't lift them even if I tried. I smiled in content as the darkness of sleep claimed me, and then, and only then, did I let my body relax.

_She was running. She didn't know what for, or what from, but she was running as fast as her legs would move. She had to keep going, she had no choice. Olympic sprinters had nothing on her – she was running for her life. _

_The air was thick with leaves, branches protruding in her vision and hitting her in the face. She desperately reached out, pushing the offending obstacles from her way, but she did nothing more than scratch her arm on the sharp thorns._

_The trees around her were in complicated rows, creating hundreds of complex paths, each more sinister than the next. The trunks were as wide as houses, the perfect place for a hiding spot._

_Picking one at random as the pain in her legs became too much, she ran behind the haven, leaning against the wood and holding her breathe. Her lungs burned from lack of oxygen, but she refused to let a minor necessity such as air reveal her hiding place. _

_She bit her lip as the tears of frustration, anger and fear fell down her cheeks._

Not now_... she said to herself, her mind yelling the words she so wished to reveal to the world. _Everything's so perfect... Not now... Not now...

_Her lip began to bleed from the pressure of her teeth and she emitted a slight sob as the reality sunk in. Holding a hand over her mouth and nose, her body began to shake with repressed cries._

_Snarling sounded around her. The low growl echoed through the silent night and she gasped in horror. It was time._

_If someone had asked her how she wanted to die, this would be the last thing on her list. _

_Gently passing away in her sleep? No problem._

_Car crash that kills her instantly? Bring it on._

_Drive by shooting? Yes, please._

_Being ripped to pieces, slowly and painfully, by a werewolf that was... is your best friend? Yeah, not so much._

_The wolf rounded the corner of the tree, teeth bared and glistening saliva dripping from his jaws._

_He licked his non-existent lips in the way a human would before devouring a glorious looking meal._

I'm never going to be able to get married_, she thought to herself. _I'll never have kids. I'll never be able to buy a house, or go sky diving, or skinny dip, or say "I love you"... I'm never going to be able to eat grapes again.

_With that last final, if yet extremely random, thought, the wolf lunged towards her, claws bared and heckles raised in warning. He was getting closer, and closer until – _

I awoke with a strangled gasp. Beads of sweat were pouring down my skin at alarming rates and I couldn't seem to grasp any sense of a breathing pattern. I clawed at my throat in a silent attempt to calm down, but I only made myself panic more. As my eyes slowly began to adjust to the darkness, my surroundings came back to me.

The short and frequent breaths I was taking began to lengthen and soon I was breathing normally if a little deep. My heart continued to beat against my ribcage as a drummer would his instrument, but I was calm enough now to analyse my dream.

What in the name of Merlin's pantyhose was _that_?!

Why was I being chased by a werewolf of all things?

And in the Forbidden Forest? Yeah, it was called that for a reason.

And I stuck to it!

Not once had I ventured into that place unsupervised!

And what on earth was I thinking?

I don't even _like _grapes...

**AN:  
Okay, the next chapter is officially rewritten. ^_^**

**I want to thank all of you guys for standing by me through the mess that is this story.  
Without you guys, I would have given up ages ago.  
So thanks, dudes!**

**Also, in the previous edition of this chapter, I had the song "Keep Holding On" by Avril Lavigne, and I must say, for **_**your **_**sake, TAKE A LISTEN!**

**It's amazing, trust me.  
You'll love it.  
Almost as much as I love reviews. ^_^  
HintHintNudgeNudge.**

**Love you all, my munchkins!!**

**Stace.**

**xoxox**


	5. What A Day

**Disclaimer:**

**If I owned Harry Potter, I would make Draco and Harry have lots and lots of babies. Since they don't (and hate each others guts –cry-) I consequently do not own HP. But I will. Someday. ;D**

Chapter 5

It was only a day after the incident in the Room of Requirement and yet it felt like months. I found myself looking back in the middle of lessons to the dream (which didn't go down too well with the Professors, I'll tell you that).

I couldn't believe how vivid it seemed – it was hard to think of it as just a dream anymore.

As I sauntered through the grass outside of the castle, the full moon rose high in the air. I smirked at the irony of dreaming of a werewolf at this time of month. Of course, the thought of an actual werewolf in the grounds hadn't crossed my mind.

Professor Dumbledore – no matter how crazy he seemed – would never let a werewolf join Hogwarts only to roam the grounds unsupervised. And what was I meant to carry around with me anyway if there was one? An 'anti-werewolf-please-don't-eat-me-I-taste-awful' keychain?

I shook my head and shuffled my feet through the grass.

The lake was, as ever, perfectly calm at this time of night. It was so peaceful that it seemed like just a normal lake, not one that was home to a Giant Squid.

I had dubbed the squid Charles, Charlie for short, in my first year at Hogwarts. The name had stuck, and now I couldn't help but use it when the squid entered my mind.

I giggled as my mind was cast back to a time in fourth year when Severus and I were sat dangling our feet in the water after a gruesome day of schoolwork.

"Do you think that by some miraculous change of heart, the teachers will give us less work during our OWL year?"I had asked Severus with a smile as I slowly moved my feet in the water.

"I don't think so... But there's always the idea of moving to another school!" he replied cheerfully. The trousers of his school uniform were rolled up to his knees as he lowered his feet into the coolness of the water.

"Meh..." I said, wrinkling my nose but with a smile on my face, "But then who would there be to terrorise the first years?"

It was at that moment that Charlie had decided to make himself known. He wasn't a bad squid, Merlin forbid. But he was a tad... territorial.

He rose up from the water, tentacles waving rapidly.

He began his way towards Severus and I, the water sloshing around us and dampening the bottoms of Severus' trousers.

"Sev! Come ON!" I cried gleefully, retracting my feet from the water and tugging on my best friend's sleeve.

The reality of the situation quickly sunk in – the fact that a Giant Squid with issues about his personal space was travelling towards us at a rapid speed, tentacles flailing and a murderous glint in its eyes – and he too removed his feet from the water.

Immediately, the squid stopped.

Slowly but surely he began his descent beneath the cool waters, it's eyes glaring at us in a silent warning to never step foot in the lake again if we valued our lives.

"How do you think it knew?" I asked Severus, panting slightly and shaking my head. "I mean, how big is that lake? And he spotted two pairs of feet in all of that water?!"

Severus laughed loudly.

"He probably smelled your feet!" he cried, wiping tears from his eyes.

My eyebrows furrowed.

"My feet?" I asked rhetorically. "Well, if that's what you think..." With a sudden smirk, I pushed Severus backwards into the lake.

He spluttered as he reached the surface.

"What was that for?!" he shouted to me, wiping the water from his eyes.

"I'd like to try and see you make fun of me again," I said with a pleasant smile, gathering my belongings. "Have fun with Charlie!"

"You do know that you almost killed me, right?" he asked with his eyes narrowed, as he attempted to climb up the banking. "All because I said something mean about your feet of all things. You are so childish, Alana," he finished with a small smile.

I shrugged my shoulders and flung my hair behind me, glancing back to look at him.

"Yeah, well, at least I don't still have a teddy bear. Come on, Sevvy! Mr. Grumbles is waiting!"

He turned beet red, the smile vanishing in a millisecond and grasping at the bank desperately to climb onto land. He began to curse at me with words that would make Grindewald turn in his grave.

"Tut, tut, Sevvy! I'll have to wash your mouth out with soap next!"

Laughing, I began to run towards the castle doors, an angry Slytherin boy hot on my heels.

Back in the present, I chuckled under my breath and shook my head. I missed those times, back when we had no worries other than who was dating who and what mark we had received in our exams.

As much as I didn't want to admit it, I missed Severus too.

He was my first real best friend. We had started as mere acquaintances, sitting next to each other at dinner and lessons only because everyone else refused to sit with us.

I was the quiet - yet extremely weird - chick and he was the dorky potions expert.

We had to look out for each other.

And we did.

If the boys started to torment me because I was 'crazy' then he would stick up for me. And if the girls decided the Severus was a nerdy boy with no fashion sense, I would beat them to a pulp.

But after the incident in fifth year, Severus had moved on from me. Instead of living in the past, he had taken to hanging around with the fellow Death Eaters. Lucius and Regulus Black had accepted him with open arms.

I ignored them all the best I could – like with Severus, during Death Eater meetings and at school, I never acknowledged them. If there was something I had learnt in all these years, it was that you could only depend on yourself.

Shaking my head and relieving the frown that had settled on my features, I continued towards the lake.

It had been an interesting day to say the least...

In fact, it was so interesting; I think that there should be an award for it!

"The Suckiest Second Day Award"!

It started out like any other ordinary day. Well, obviously it did. That's how all sucky days start. They lead you into false pretences thinking, "Oh, this is such an amazing day!"

And then BAM!

It changes by one little thing.

For me it was breakfast.

There was no bacon left.

And you should know me by now – without my bacon on a morning, I don't function properly. Not to mention that I was getting a migraine from the amount of aerosol product I had inhaled thanks to my beauty-freak dorm mates.

"And so I said to him," Narcissa Black had said, spraying '_Mr Mullins' Magical Hair Holder' _over her 'golden locks'. "I said, 'Lucius, I know that you like to show off your hair.'" She switched to '_Sweet Strawberry Scented Spray_'. "'But if you think that I'm going to sit back and watch you terrorise yourself with all of those cosmetics, you've got another thing coming.'"

Sandy Greengrass nodded her head solemnly, reaching for _'Banana Bonanza Blitz_' and continued to squirt it over herself.

By the time they had reached '_Irresistible Raspberry Ripple'_, they smelt like a fruit salad and I was about to collapse from lack of oxygen.

So I had to function without my bacon. After this, I realised that I had gone and left my book bag in the great hall – by this time I was already outside the classroom door. So, I was late to my first lesson.

Now, Professor Flitwick doesn't tolerate two things in his class.

Number one is being late.

The second is charming a quill to levitate and making it move any further than three feet away from you – I swear if I hear another one of those 'the sharp end then plunged into' stories, I'll scream.

So there I was, barging through the door about ten minutes into the lesson. It resulted in a foot long essay titled "I Must Not Be Late To Class Because..." And this was followed by an hour long discussion on upcoming N.E.W.T's in which I had rolled up bits of parchment flicked at my head by the Marauders.

At the next class, I was all for sitting down quietly and relaxing (no, scratch that...) sleeping through the whole thing.

But, no.

The kindness of the God's were not on me.

Professor McGonagall walked into the classroom, hair slicked back into the tight bun that she always wore.

"Miss Thomas!" she screeched in her shrill Scottish tone, a purple vein practically popping out of her forehead as she zoned in on me.

"Yes, Min- Professor McGonagall?" I smiled sweetly at her, trying myself to ignore the fact that I had almost called her a name of a Disney character.

"I do not appreciate the fact that you completely disregard your attendance to my lessons! It was the first lesson of the year, Miss Thomas. The _first_ lesson, and you didn't even turn up for five minutes. And why is that? Hmm? Did you not 'feel like it'?! Well, let me tell you, Miss Thomas, you have much potential, my girl; you just are too _lazy_ to use it!"

After a ten minute long speech over how the N.E.W.T lessons were the most important of my life, she finally sentenced me to a foot long essay titled, "I Must Not Skip Class Because..."

And – just to spite me, I'm sure – she also took fifty points from Slytherin, putting us behind Gryffindor in only the second day back. My own housemates hissed at me, and I shrugged in helplessness. In addition (oh, yes, there's more... Much more...) the Marauders were laughing their skinny little backsides off at the back of the classroom! At me! Yes, me! They revelled in my misfortunes.

In hopes for everything to calm down at dinner, I quickly left the classroom the minute the bell signalled and piled as much food as I could handle onto the plate. It was only until I taken at least ten bites of the marvellous food that the itching began.

It started like a slight tickle, the kind you get when you eat something and the material brushes against your tongue.

But as I ignored it, it seemed to get worse until suddenly my whole mouth was on fire.

I downed my glass of pumpkin juice in one, but the pain was still there.

I ran from the hall, the Marauders laughter echoing behind me.

According to Madame Pomfrey, Madame Tucker's assistant, someone had placed itching powder into my food. But if that wasn't enough, it turned out that I was allergic to the damn stuff!

Madame Pomfrey was a sadistic young woman who relished in the fact that sick people were held captive in the Hospital Wing until proven 'better'. She was so glad to have a patient that she insisted that I remain in the Hospital Wing for further observation.

"Just in case you break out into hives, fever, sweats, convulsions and/or hysteric giggles," she had told me.

I grimaced.

"'Eally, 'Adame 'Omfrey. 'm 'ine, 'an I 'o 'ow?" Translated, that was "Really, Madame Pomfrey. I'm fine, can I go now?"

Well, it would have been if my tongue hadn't doubled in size.

She assured me that the swelling would decrease in due time – by tomorrow or even the same night, I would be as good as new. And yet she insisted on keeping me inside the hellhole.

I was finally released about an hour before curfew. My tongue had returned to normal size and she was now quite certain that I would not erupt into hives/sweats/giggles, I was allowed out on the promise that I wouldn't 'overdo it'.

Completely disregarding my promise, I decided to go and make amends with Snuffles. I had completely forgotten to see him the night before because of the incident in the Room of Requirement. So I ended up here, walking along the dew covered grass looking for my only friend. Who just so happened to be a dog.

I really need to get out more.

"Snuffles?" I shout-whispered, "Snuffles? Wheeeere aaaaare youuuu?"

I smirked and continued.

"Scooby Dooby Doo. Where are you? We got some work to do now. Scooby Dooby Doo. Where are you? We need some help from you now."

"I always knew you were senile, Thomas. And who in the name of Merlin's beard is Gooby Looby Loo?"

I whipped around so fast that I cricked my neck and my eyebrows narrowed in annoyance as I realised who had just spoken.

"Scooby Dooby Doo is a crime fighting dog, if you must know, Black. And I'm no more senile than you are. _I'm _not the one hanging upside down from a tree."

"But it's comfy!" he replied with a whine, "And why, can I ask, are you singing about a crime fighting dog?"

"I never knew you cared about my life, Black," I replied, and turned away from the annoying excuse of a human.

"I never said I did," he said, jumping down from the tree, "I'm just curious, is all."

He brushed down his trousers of the dirt on them and I grimaced.

"Don't you have some Slytherin's to terrorise?" I asked, folding my arms in defiance.

He smiled.

"Let's see," he said, holding up his hands, "We have you," he pointed to me with one hand, "Who is a Slytherin... And me," he pointed to himself with the other hand, "who is a Gryffindor. I could always terrorise you." He gave me what he thought was a grateful smile. "So there. No need to worry."

I groaned and slapped my palm to my face in annoyance.

"Go jump off a bridge, Black."

"But -"

"Go!"

He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Girls," he muttered as he walked away, "One minute they want you to stay and then it's 'ooh, jump of a bridge!"

I sighed and massaged my temples. I had a killer headache coming on and the fact that Snuffles seemed to be ignoring me didn't seem to help matters.

--

Sirius walked away from Alana, muttering under his breath and gazing down at his feet. To any other person, it would seem that our favourite Gryffindor was peeved at something, but in reality he was using all of his strength to keep an ear out for any sign of Remus.

It was a full moon, and currently Werewolf Remus was crawling through the Forbidden Forest.

It wasn't his fault, he said to himself, not really.

Well, he reasoned, yes he had turned up late.

And, yes, maybe he had left the door to the Shrieking Shack open by accident.

And, _yes_, he had been in too much of a shock to stop the werewolf from escaping.

But really, how was he to know that Remus was going to run away if given the opportunity?

Okay, okay, he finally admitted, maybe it actually _was _his fault that Remus was currently roaming the Forbidden Forest.

But it wasn't as if James let him help search!

"No way, Sirius," James had said, calling behind him as he ran to follow the werewolf, "You've already done enough already. Just... I don't know, search the grounds for people and keep an eye on them in case Remus turns up. And for the love of Merlin, look out for Lily. She said she was going to watch the stars tonight – I managed to talk her out of it, but you know what she's like."

So there he was, perched in a tree and looking out for any signs of distress that could insinuate a werewolf attack when Alana had shown up.

Shaking his head, he continued to walk towards another large tree on the opposite end of the lake.

What a day...

--

I sighed and leant back against the boulder.

The sun was about half an hour from rising and I was becoming more and more tired by the second.

Snuffles wasn't coming.

The harsh truth hit me dead on and I grimaced – the animal was the first thing that had befriended me since Severus and I had gone and thrown it all away.

A sudden gust of cold wind came from nowhere and my hair whipped around my face in disarray.

_Running through the forest, dodging trees the size of houses..._

A picture flashed before my eyes.

_Dripping saliva... A low growl..._

I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, dodging trees and never looking back. But something was different. I slowed to a stop, suddenly feeling extremely stupid.

I glanced behind me just in case, but I already knew the answer; I wasn't being chased.

The forest around me was deadly quiet. A hoot of an owl in the distance was the only clue that I hadn't entered a parallel universe.

"AAAH!"

A sudden scream pierced the silence and my eyes widened in terror. A low growl followed quickly behind it and I grasped my wand in self defence.

In my mind, I yelled at myself. _What are you doing, you stupid girl?! Go back to the castle!_

But I couldn't just leave knowing that a girl was about to be attacked by a werewolf!

I sprinted towards the source of the noise, desperate not to be too late.

The constant growl was enough for me to know where the beast was located and in turn know where I could find the girl.

I came to a sudden stop in a small clearing and my heart seemed to skip a beat.

There it was, hairless and standing on its hind legs. Saliva was dripping from its jaws, teeth bared in a dangerous warning. Teeth bared at the defenceless girl stood before it.

"Evans!" I cried and darted forward, brandishing my wand as one would a sword.

The cry was enough for the werewolf to divert its attention to me. Lily collapsed to the floor in exhausted terror, eyes closed but clearly breathing.

With a quick _Stupefy _the creature fell to floor in a dazed manner. I knew from my Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons that _Stupefy_ on a werewolf wouldn't last long – in fact, at most, it would merely confuse it for a few minutes.

Using the small amount of time to the best of my ability, I quickly cast a levitating charm on Lily and directed her through the woods.

Keeping an ear out for the werewolf creeping up behind me, I moved as quickly as I dared with the immobile body.

When the light of the newly risen sun became visible beyond the trees, my steps quickened. I gently placed her on the grass as tears obstructed my vision – I didn't even know why I was crying, I was just certain that my heart was about to beat right out of my ribcage.

I quickly checked to make sure her breathing was in check and was sure that I was going to laugh with relief when I noticed that her chest was rising and falling in a rhythmic pattern.

"Lily!" a shout came and I looked up quickly to see James Potter running towards us, nursing a nasty looking gash on his forehead with Sirius Black in tow.

Quickly standing, I turned and sprinted into the forest.

Now that I knew that Lily would be okay, I could leave her with the two Gryffindors without having to answer difficult questions that would no doubt arise. They would be sure to think that I was the one that attacked her, and with great reason too. And who in their right mind would believe me when I said that a werewolf was currently in human form in the middle of the forest?

So sprinting back to the small clearing where I had found the creature, I quickly grasped my wand. I knew that werewolves couldn't help being who they were – they had no say in the matter whether they were bitten or not. But there were rumours in the Death Eaters of an inhumane killer who was joyous in being a werewolf, deliberately attacking younger children to doom them to the same fate.

That was one person that the world could happily live without.

When the clearing finally became visible, I slowed my pace. What was once a full blown run had dwindled to tentative steps. I knew the person was now defenceless – and probably unconscious, knowing the painful procedure of wolf to man – but I couldn't help the spark of fear that fluttered in my stomach.

The person was laid in the middle of the clearing, naked as the day he was born, face down and unmoving.

As my eyes widened and the person began to wake, I quickly shoved a hand in front of my face to save him the torment.

"Don't you think we should at least have a date first before we get to the whole 'naked' thing?" I asked with sarcasm and he whipped around to face me. With a startled yelp, he ran behind the nearest tree.

Poking his now red face from behind his sanctuary, Remus Lupin glared at me, eyebrows furrowed.

"What are you doing here, Thomas?" he asked, running a wary hand through his sandy hair.

"Oh, you know me," I said, removing my hand from my eyes, "Decided to go for a wander in the Forbidden Forest at six in the morning. Watching the flowers sway in the breeze, talk to the trees a little, hope to get eaten by a werewolf, all that jazz." I rolled my eyes and folded my arms over my chest. Was he really that dense?

"What the... Look, Thomas, in case you haven't noticed, I'm cold and I'm tired and I want to go to sleep. Don't torment me with your sarcastic comments and tell me what the hell you want!" He began to breathe deeply and my eyes widened once more.

"Okay, Gryffindork, keep your shirt on." I snorted slightly. "Well... I guess that's not the best choice of words..." As he growled deep in his throat – sounding so much like the actual wolf that he was earlier that I glanced around in shock to see if one had joined us – I decided to finally get the point. "Do you honestly not remember?"

"I never remember anything," he replied, "After my transformation every full moon, the wolf takes over. Even if I try as hard as I can, I can't control myself and when I wake up in the morning everything else is a blur." His eyes were downcast to stare at my feet and I shuffled awkwardly.

To say that he had just been 'outed', he seemed to be taking the news rather well. That, or the reality of the situation hadn't exactly sunk in yet.

"Well, I don't suppose I'm the best person to tell you this, but it would be better to hear it from me now than from someone else later..." His eyes found mine with a questioning gaze. "You – well, the werewolf you – attacked Lily Evans. About an hour ago."

His eyes widened in shock and fear.

"I attacked Lily?"

"She's fine, she's fine!" I quickly reassured him, "Not even a scratch on her! She just collapsed from fear that's all. She's with Potter and Black now, I think. Probably at the Hospital Wing. Bless her soul, she'll never make it out if Madame Pomfrey has anything to do with it.."

"You _think_? You just left her there?!" His voice seemed to raise a few octaves as he stared at me.

"Well, I couldn't stay with her, could I?" I asked, sitting on the ground with a 'humph', my arms curling around my knees.

"And why the Hell not?!" I raised an eyebrow at the Muggle reference, but tried to keep my cool all the same.

"Imagine yourself in my position, Lupin," I said, "If I turned up at the end of the Forbidden Forest with an unconscious girl, claiming to just save her from a werewolf attack, who in their right mind would believe me? I am 'Slytherin Scum' after all..."

He sighed deeply.

"Yeah, you're right..." he reluctantly admitted.

I smiled, though no humour was behind it.

"I think this is the part where you say, 'Oh, Alana, you're not scum! You're the greatest person to walk the earth and I'm honoured just to be in your presence!' Well, something like that anyway."

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Now, why would I do that? People would start to think that I actually liked you."

"Wouldn't want that now, would we?" I scoffed, and rose to my feet once more. "Come on, Lupin. Let's get you back."

I transfigured a nearby pebble into a large cloak and handed it to the boy. As he stood behind the tree and began to change, his voice carried out from behind it.

"How did you know where Lily was anyway? It's not like you're friends or anything."

I stopped wiping the dirt from my knees and my head rose slightly.

How _did_ I know where Lily would be?

"Lupin, can you find your way back to the castle from here?"

"Yes, but-"

"And are you strong enough to walk?"

"_Yes_, but-"

"Good. I have to go. Later, Wolfboy!"

Running back to the grounds (after getting whacked in the face _four_ times by overgrown branches), I threw open the castle door. The previous exhaustion that I had felt from no sleep had vanished, and I practically screamed the password at the sleeping gargoyle.

As always, Dumbledore was sat at his desk, hands cradled and looking at me intently as I stormed into his office.

"Sir!" I exclaimed through my pants, bending over at the waist and clutching my stomach, "I think I might be a Seer!"

What a day...

**AN: Ahh...  
officially re-written.**

**^_^  
Tell me what you think?**

**Almost 4,500 words for this chapter.  
Better than the measly 2,000 before, eh? xD**

**I love you all!**

**Stacey.**

**xox**


	6. Sherbet Lemon, Anyone?

**Disclaimer: **

**Me (on phone): Yeahuh. This is J K Rowling speaking. Yeahuh, I do own Harry Potter. Mhm. Excuse me? Who's the brunette talking on the phone right now pretending to be J K Rowling and taking over the world with her Harry Potter Army? Errr... I'm sorry, sir, you have the wrong number...**

Chapter 6

Dumbledore's fuzzy white eyebrows disappeared under the brim of his bright purple hat and he reached forward with a wrinkled hand for another sherbet lemon.

"Now, Miss Thomas," he said with a chuckle, "Why on earth would you think this?"

My eyes narrowed at the chuckle that had emitted from the old man, but I suppose he had a point. It's not every day that a seventeen year old girl bursts into your office, claiming that she's a Seer and no doubt having bags the size of Russia under her eyes.

"Well..." I started, slumping down in the nearest available seat. Once the back of my legs hit the fluffy material, my eyes closed in contentment. It was only at that point when I realised how tired I actually was. I leant back, my spine now resting against the chair fully, the plush cushions welcoming me further into the chair.

As Dumbledore cleared his throat, a small smile playing on his lips, I sat up straight once more, my body now protesting outrageously from the loss of contact.

"Sorry," I murmured and Dumbledore nodded his head in acceptance, the twinkle in his eye sparkling like no tomorrow. "I guess it started the night before last... I had a dream. Just a regular dream, mind, nothing special..." My eyebrows furrowed in deep thought as I imagined the dream. "I was running. Running from something. I didn't know what it was at first, but... I could recollect my own thoughts, my own actions... But they weren't mine. They were someone else's. And when I woke up, I remembered everything right down to the clothes I was wearing. It sounds so stupid when I say it out loud, but... it came true today."

Dumbledore nodded his head slightly, sucking on a sherbet lemon.

"I see, Miss Thomas," he said, and swallowed the sweet carefully. "I, personally, have no direct abilities in the form of Divination. I generally leave that to our beloved Professor Trelawney –" at this point I snorted loudly "-but from your account, it does seem as if you do have the powers of a Seer." He chuckled again, and his beard moved up and down in a rhythmic pattern. "I can't say I am really surprised, my dear. I have had my suspicions even before our meeting today."

I nodded my head thoughtfully, glancing around the room at the sleeping portraits, before the meaning of his words sunk in.

"Hold the Portkey, Professor. What did you just say?"

"I said: 'I can't say I'm really surprised, my dear. I have had my suspicions even before our meeting today.'" He reached forward for another sweet.

"Suspicions?" I asked in disbelief. "Of my being a Seer?"

"Naturally."

"What do you mean 'suspicions'?" I elaborated, using air quotations around the last word. If he knew all along that I was a so-called Seer and never even thought to tell me... So much for a mentor, huh?

"Take, for example," he continued, "the year before last. Sometime around June, I recollect you appearing in my office and talking to me about the most terrible storm that we had just encountered. I also recollect, at this time, I questioned you on this 'storm' as we were in the midst of a draught and had not seen rainfall for months. From this, you raised your eyebrows and insisted that there had been a storm – it was only until you looked out of the window at the yellowing grass that you took me for my word. It was precisely at this moment that the heavens opened and the rain began to fall in one of the most amazing storms Hogwarts has ever seen."

My eyebrows narrowed.

"When I asked about that, you said that it was just a coincidence."

Dumbledore nodded his head, his cheeks puckered as he sucked on the sweet.

"Yes," he replied, "but if there is one thing that I have learnt over the years, Alana, it is that everything happens for a reason. There is, in fact, no such thing as coincidence."

"So you knew?" I asked, disbelief in my voice, "You knew all along and you never told me?" My eyebrows narrowed slightly.

Dumbledore swallowed the sherbet lemon, his hands now folded in front of him.

"Naturally, Alana, I believed this was something you needed to figure out with your own knowledge. Plus," he reminded me, "it was only a hunch that I believed you to possess the powers of the Seer."

I reluctantly nodded my head. Just when you thought you had your head figured out, everything changes overnight.

"Is there anything else you would like to discuss?" he asked politely, stroking his beard.

My eyes followed the moving hand in a hypnotizing motion, and my body seemed to relax somewhat as I counted the wrinkles that covered the skin.

"As a matter of fact, Professor, there is something that I thought I should run by you..."

At this moment, a loud, short knock sounded on the door and before waiting for an answer, the person responsible burst into the office. So much for manners nowadays...

Sirius Black in all his glory stood before the desk, heaving slightly since out of breath. He was bent over at the waist, wheezing with his hands placed upon his knees.

With the deep breaths he was taking, I thought he was having an asthma attack or something, but when he saw me in my comfy chair he straightened up quickly. He gave me a piercing gaze before nodded and saying curtly, "Thomas."

I glared in reply before smiling sweetly. "No bridges to jump off of, Black?"

"Nothing in a mile radius."

"I guess we'll have to settle for the Astronomy Tower then, huh?"

He chuckled evilly (well, in my opinion anyway). "Look, Thomas, if you wanted to get me into the Astronomy Tower you only had to ask. There's no need to threaten me with bodily harm." He lowered his voice and murmured out of the corner of his mouth, "Of course, unless you're into that stuff..."

I could feel my cheeks heating with fire. "I'd rather jump off of the tower myself."

I turned to face the front of the room and my cheeks seemed to darken somewhat. Professor Dumbledore was facing us, the twinkle in his eye glaring back at me and his mouth twitching at the corners.

"Oh, it's fine," I mumbled under my breath, "Go ahead and laugh at my misfortunes. It's not as if anyone else does."

Dumbledore cleared his throat slightly and gestured to the chair next to mine. "Mr Black, such a pleasure to see you. Please shut the door; such a terrible draft, you know. Have a seat. Sherbet lemon?" Black didn't have time to deny the sweets as several sherbet lemons were placed in his hands by the old codger.

"Why thank you, Professor," he said, placing a few in his mouth at once. "You know I always enjoy our little chats, especially when you win me over with these delicious Muggle sweets."

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Black, are you entirely blind or do you not realise I'm in the middle of a crisis here?"

He looked back at me intently. "You don't look any different than normal."

"That's because whenever I see you, I have a crisis."

"I'm glad I affect you so much, Thomas, but is there a point to the conversation?"

"Actually, there was. Get out."

He gaped at me like a fish and held a hand over where his heart would be. I had the pleasure of seeing a half eaten, half sucked-to-death sherbet lemon hanging from his mouth.

"Now, Alana," he replied his mouth snapping shut, "Is that any way to progress in our relationship?"

"I think it would be best if we talk later, Mr Black, before Miss Thomas has an aneurism," Dumbledore interrupted, a sweet smile on his lips.

He stood slowly and bowed deeply before Dumbledore, the way a house elf would before their master. A growl emerged from the back of my throat and Black's smirk seem to grow.

He placed his pinky finger and thumb in the shape of a Muggle telephone and mouthed 'call me' to Dumbledore before backing out of the room and closing the door sharply behind him.

"That... _thing_ needs to be taken out of Muggle Studies. Either he has something against me, or he's just _trying_ to get himself a death sentence," I said, pinching the bridge of my nose between my fingers. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"Yes, I do agree that he seems to have taken the subject to heart." Dumbledore smiled brightly, eyes twinkling madly and reaching forward for another sherbet lemon. I had a sudden urge to inform him on certain aspects of dental hygiene.

"As you were saying, Miss Thomas, before Mr Black's interruption."

I took a deep breath and looked around the room in sudden appreciation.

"You know, Professor, it's a lovely office you have here. Did you decorate it yourself?"

Dumbledore smirked. "Miss Thomas, if you are trying to avoid the subject I am afraid that you are not doing a very good job."

"Yeah... Right. Well." I cleared my throat loudly. "IknowRemusLupinisawerewolf."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows once more.

"I'm sorry, Miss Thomas, I'm afraid my ears aren't what they used to be. Could you kindly repeat that?"

I sighed deeply and clenched my eyes shut tightly. I didn't want to see his face when I told him what happened. What would he be? Intrigued? Disappointed? Angry?

I didn't want to know.

"I know Remus Lupin is a werewolf." I breathed in deeply and shakily. "I told you that the vision I had came true... At first I thought I was being chased like I was in my vision. But then I saw Lily Evans being attacked by a werewolf. I didn't know who the werewolf was at the time and I was... I was _so_ scared... But I couldn't just leave her there to get _mauled_... So I stunned the werewolf and I carried Lily back to the edge of the forest. I saw James Potter and Sirius Black running towards us and I couldn't just stay there... They'd think it was me who attacked her and it wasn't, _it wasn't_.

"I had nowhere else to go. So I went back into the forest and by this time the sun had come back up again and I just had to know who it was. I just had to know that they were alright and to make sure that it was a Hogwarts student and not a random... sadistic _weirdo_ who got kicks out of murdering _kids_." My hands had somehow made themselves into fists and I let out a slow breath to get back under control. "I told you about the new follower of the Dark Lord... I would never forgive myself if it was _him_ and I let the bastard get away. But when I went back to the clearing, Lupin was laying there.

"Lupin knows that I know. We talked for a while afterwards. I swear I won't tell, Professor. I _swear_. I know what it's like to have to keep a secret from everyone. If anyone, you'd think I'd be one of the most trustworthy."

My eyes opened and I quickly glanced up at Professor Dumbledore. He had removed his glasses and rubbed at his eyes with a weathered hand.

"How come you must always be in trouble, Alana?" he asked softly. I could feel a lump in my throat beginning to form.

"I don't go looking for trouble. Trouble finds me. More times than I care to count, actually."

He replaced his glasses and looked directly at me solemnly. "I trust you know what must be done?"

I nodded my head and focused on the floor.

"I know this must seem like a drastic measure, but for both of your sakes I believe it to be one of the best choices. Mr Lupin already has a difficult life ahead of him; I cannot risk the chance of his secret being told, deliberately or otherwise. And from your own perspective, you would be able to have an acquaintance to discuss the situation with."

He leant forward, making me look up into his eyes.

"I know you do not mention your own feelings very often, my dear, but I can see that you are hurting inside. Believe this old fool when I say that I feel being able to talk to someone your own age will benefit you greatly."

It was hard to disagree with Dumbledore, I found at that moment. He could have told me then and there that cutting off my own arm would be a good idea and I would have believed him.

He stood and turned to a painting on the wall. The woman was short and stout with a head of greying blonde hair underneath a large, green hat. She had a kind face with a smile etched onto it which only became wider when she saw Dumbledore before her. The fact that she had just been awoken at stupid-o'-clock in the morning didn't seem to faze her in the slightest.

"I am indeed sorry to wake you, Margaret. I was wondering if you could take a trip to the Hospital Wing and ask Poppy if she would bring Remus Lupin to me as soon as possible, please?"

She nodded gravely and flashed me a quick smile before vanishing from view. A large, comfortable armchair in a maroon shade was left behind.

The time passed slowly in her wake and found it difficult to focus on one thing. I tried counting the tiles on the floor, but lost count when my mind strayed to recent events.

_Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen..._

Remus Lupin is a werewolf.

_Forty-two, forty-three, forty-four..._

We were going to be part of an Unbreakable Vow.

_Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty..._

He's going to know that I'm a Death Eater.

The ticking of the clock on the wall, the squawk of Fawkes the Phoenix and the rhythmic breathing of the office's two occupants was all that I could hear. The swinging pendulum grabbed my attention. Back... and forth... back... and forth.

A loud, sharp knock on the door sounded and my mind was brought back to the present. The heavy wooden door swung open to reveal Remus and Madame Pomfrey.

He was pale, paler than when I had seen him in the forest and I suddenly became aware of the number of scars over his body. He was wearing bright red pyjamas that hid him well, but the bare flesh that I could see was covered in them. A number of short scars covered his face and a long, slightly discoloured one ran from beneath his left eye and over his nose. His hands were twitching at his sides and the backs and palms were covered in them; short ones, long ones, old and new. The flannel bottoms were slightly short and the flash of flesh from the end of the pyjamas to the start of worn slippers was also covered in scars. An especially long one ran from his left ankle and disappeared underneath the slipper.

Madam Pomfrey stormed into the office, a manic look in her eye. Remus followed silently behind her.

He stared at me, a look of betrayal in his eyes. I looked back at him, trying to convey without a sound what I was screaming in my head. _I didn't tell Dumbledore that you were a monster. You wouldn't hurt a fly. I know that. Don't think that I hate you. I don't, I don't, I don't..._

I don't know why it felt important for me to reassure him that I didn't hate him because he was a werewolf. I had never really talked to him much before now, but the 'kicked puppy' look that he was now giving me didn't help my situation at all.

Remus looked away from my gaze. The lump reappeared at the back of my throat.

"Albus," Madam Pomfrey started, lips pursed in annoyance, "I trust you understand the importance of my patient's need for rest? Madame Tucker will _not _be pleased if she discovers that Remus is not in his bed at such a vulnerable time."

Remus sighed in annoyance. "Look, Madame Pomfrey, I understand your concern, but I'm fine. Really-"

"I will return Mr Lupin to you post haste, Poppy, thank you for your co-operation." Dumbledore smiled at her sweetly and she humphed before storming out of the office. "From personal experience, I find it best if one simply agrees with Madame Pomfrey before she gets 'into her stride'."

"Yeah, and agree spending your life in the Hospital Wing? I'd rather not, Professor, thanks," I said and from the corner of my eye I noticed Remus lips twitching in amusement. "She takes pleasure out of our misfortunes, I'm sure of it. "

"Now, now, Miss Thomas, how would Madame Pomfrey feel if she knew the things you were saying about her?"

"She'd probably agree."

He chuckled slightly before reaching for another sherbet lemon.

"Shall we get down to business?" he asked rhetorically. "Remus, do you know why I asked you here this fine morning?"

"I have an idea, sir," he replied and glanced quickly in my direction.

"As I am sure you also know, Lord Voldemort," at this point Remus gasped deeply, "has become stronger. In a way to prevent the situation from worsening over time, I began a group known as the Order of the Phoenix. The Order consists of a small selection of volunteers who are doing all they can to help the war effort." He glanced quickly to me. "Miss Thomas here, after certain events, has been a member of the Order for a considerable amount of time. I would like to put the option forward for you, also."

"I'd love to join, sir," Remus replied with no hesitation and I smiled slightly. I knew he would.

"I am glad for your own co-operation, Mr Lupin." Dumbledore shifted slightly in his seat. "Now, because of recent events, I feel that there is a certain action that we will be able to perform that, over time, may benefit you both."

At Remus' puzzled look, I leaned over to him. "An Unbreakable Vow, dufus," I whispered and his mouth formed an 'o' of understanding.

"Because Miss Thomas here already knows of your situation, I feel that it would only be fair for you to know of Alana's own secret." He sighed deeply. "I have already informed you that she has been a member of the Order for a considerable amount of time, but a certain situation also caused her to take drastic action. She has been a spy for the Order and relays information from Voldemort's inner circle. I must say, without Alana's help, we would not have advanced as much as have during this time."

"She... She's a _Death Eater_?" Remus asked, eyes wide.

"_She_ is sitting right here. And believe me, it's not by choice," I interrupted and folded my arms over my chest. "It's just the same as you, really. You didn't _ask_ to be a werewolf, did you? I didn't ask to be a Death Eater. It's just something that we have to deal with."

Remus nodded reluctantly.

"I've been giving false information to Voldemort for a little under two years now. I've wormed my way into his inner circle and anything that he tells his Death Eaters, I tell Dumbledore. The other Death Eaters ignore me, somewhat. They feel that I'm too young to be taken seriously, so they don't mind discussing things in front of me. But Voldemort himself feels that I can help him because I'm a student here."

I looked up at him through half-lidded eyes.

"Trust me, I'm not the only one from this school who's a Death Eater. But at least my decision to join them isn't through choice."

"If you know the other Death Eaters, how come they haven't been sent to Azkaban?"

"We can't tell the Ministry just form my word alone," I replied, glad that we could converse like normal human beings. "Not only would it jeopardise my 'spy' status but there's not enough evidence. As much as I hate to admit it, Death Eaters are smart."

"If you are ready, we will begin."

At Dumbledore's nod, I held my hand out towards Remus. I tried to smile helpfully at him, but a part of me seemed to feel that a grimace was more appropriate. A shaking hand soon met my own and I grasped it tightly. I reassuring squeeze was my only reply but it somehow made me feel calmer that I had all day.

Dumbledore's wand was placed at our joined hands.

He began to murmur, too low for me to make out the words.

A thick tongue of fire emitted from the wand and began to wind around our hands. I braced myself for a burning sensation, but I felt nothing.

Dumbledore soon began to slow in his frantic whisper and before long removed the wand completely from our hands. The fire remained for a few seconds before it too began to fade away.

"The Vow is done. Under no circumstances will you be able to divulge the secrets mentioned today. However," he added with a wink and laying a finger aside his nose, "conversation between the two of you can be overlooked."

Remus and I smiled hesitantly at one another before slowly extracting our hands from the others' vice-like grip.

"You may go if so choose to. I believe that Madame Pomfrey will be becoming most impatient, Mr Lupin."

We nodded and began to meander towards the door, still rather in awe over what had just taken place.

"Oh, and before you leave," Dumbledore added, reaching into his robe, "If you would be so kind to give these to Miss Evans, Mr Pettigrew, Mr Black and Mr Potter." He handed over four scrolls, each with a phoenix wax seal in their centres. "If you could mention that time is of the essence, I would be most grateful. Sherbet lemon?"


	7. Of Painful Talks and Order Meetings

**AN: ****Sorry that it took so long to update, to those who are reading this.**

**--****SheepishSmile****--**

**Disclaimer: **

**Wendy: I DO believe in fairies, I do! I do!**

**Peter Pan: I DO believe in fairies, I do! I do!**

**Captain Hook: I DO believe in fairies, I do! I do!**

**Me: I DO own Harry Potter, I do! I do!**

Chapter 7

The walk back to the common room was... different to say the least. For about five minutes, Wereboy and I had to take the same route, lovely.

I stared determinedly ahead. It was hard considering Remus kept shooting glances at me but staying silent all the same. When he'd done it for the twenty second time (I counted), I exploded.

"What is your problem?!" I shouted. He flinched as if I would hit him with a Dark spell. I sighed and walked towards him. I put a consoling hand on his shoulder.

"Listen, _Remus_," I said with a smile, "I'm still the same ol' BBS you know and hate. I haven't changed. Just your opinion of me has. You heard Dumbledore. I'm in the Or- OUCH!" I was cut off as an excruciating pain in my abdomen area.

I bent over, holding my stomach. I chuckled slightly and winced.

"Dumbledore was right when he said there'd be consequences." I shook my head to clear it as the pain slowly subsided. I continued:

"I'm in the O-" my stomach gave a small, threatening twinge "-rganization thing. I don't believe in any of the other stuff. Please. Just trust me." I gave him another small smile and walked away.

The week past uneventfully, which in itself was unusual. By now, the Marauders should have pranked me at least four times. But not once so far, which could mean a few things.

They had finally overcome their childish grudge and left me in peace (not likely).

Were too busy studying for NEWT's to prank me (HA! As if).

Or

Were planning something HUGE which meant I was becoming a paranoid freak looking behind my shoulder every two seconds.

To say it was uneventful, me and Remus seemed to come to some sort of truce. We met every once in a while in the library in an unused section at the back.

We met just to discuss random things, things I couldn't because of one tiny thing. The lack of friends.

This was because my one and only other friend (Snuffles) seemed to not forgive me for the one time I missed the meeting (after the first day of classes). He also seemed to not forgive me for leaving him and Lily at the edge of a forest whilst I went off gallivanting with Wereboy.

Besides all this, the week was uneventful and Saturday approached. Saturday. The first day of the weekend. The first Hogsmeade trip. The first Order meeting since the start of school. The first Order meeting with the Marauders.

To say I was nervous was the understatement of the millennium. I arrived at the Hogs Head – the place where the meeting would take place – an hour earlier than I should have.

But that was just nerves.

I walked into the murky bar and the smell of goats hit me full on.

"Hey, Abe," I called to the bartender, "One butterbeer please." He sighed as if this was a great burden and threw down the dirty cloth onto the bar. I smiled. He acted nothing like his brother, our dear old headmaster, but his eyes were the same twinkling blue.

Abe was the only person outside the Order – though he was thinking of joining – that knew of my secret. That's why he gave me the 'okay' to going to the room early. Dumbledore was already there. He smiled at me and opened his mouth to speak.

"Should I sit down for this?" I cut him off. He gestured towards one of the many stools and popped a sherbet lemon in his mouth whilst I sat and took a sip of my butterbeer

"I was thinking, Miss Thomas, whether we should introduce you to the newcomers later than the others considering your... past experiences?" he questioned me. I shrugged.

"Whatever you think should be best, Dumbledore ol' chap," I said.

All was silent until ten minutes before deadline. The first member to walk in was Marlene McKinnon. She was a seventh year when I was in my fifth. She had only been in the Order for three months when I joined. We had got on well until she had found a boyfriend who was also in the Order. His name still escapes me... But anyway, she ignored me after that.

When Marlene walked in, I walked out and entered an empty room down the hall and waited for Dumbledore's patronus, signalling me to go to the meeting.

I sat there, twiddling my thumbs for at least fifteen minutes before a silvery phoenix appeared before me. I sighed and stood up, straightening my top and shaking out my shoulders.

_Come on, Alana, you can do this, _I reasoned with myself, _remember, Wereboy will be there. He'll be silently cheering you on, him and his wolf__-__ness_

Outside the door, everything was silent. I knocked and the sound echoed down the empty hall.

"Enter," came Dumbledore's voice.

_Well, _a voice said in my head, _it's now or never._

How right it was.

I had only just stepped inside when a wand was at my throat.

"What in the name of Merlin are you doing here?" Black asked menacingly.

I rolled my eyes.

"Put that away, Black, you might hurt yourself."

"Yes, Mr Black, that is quite unnecessary."

"But sir," he replied, wand still at my throat, "For all we know, she could be a Death Eater."

Remus snorted. I sent him a death glare but he still chuckled quietly to himself.

"Do put your wand away Mr Black, or I may have to get Kingsley here to take you outside." Dumbledore gestured to a dark skinned bloke beside him. He was a newly trained Auror I think.

Black seemed to weigh his options, wand still pointed at me. Curse someone and get kicked out OR put the wand away and just send glares. He chose the latter.

I rolled my eyes once more and took my usual seat at the back of the room. I never paid much attention in meetings anyway unless it had to do with a new plan for the Dark Lord.

"To our newcomers, I would like to welcome you all to the Order of the Phoenix." I whispered along with Dumbledore. How many times had I heard him say this speech? Too many.

An agonising ten minutes later, his introductions were done and he continued to the juicy stuff. I finally got to know what was going on in the world.

"As you all know, Voldemort has become stronger. Not much, but stronger all the same." I snorted at this. Dumbledore seemed to be expecting it. "Yes, Miss Thomas?"

"Please, sir, I don't mean to be disrespectful, but if Voldemort's getting stronger then I'm a toadstool."

Black muttered, "That can be arranged, you slithering dim-witted idiot."

I rolled my eyes again.

"Black, it seems you swallowed a dictionary. Want me to curse you and bring it back up again? You don't want to seem _too _smart now, do you?"

"Children, please, if you can't play nice then you won't play together." That was Lily. Always the mother figure.

"Thank you, Miss Evans," Dumbledore announced, "Now, as I was saying. Voldemort is becoming stronger-" he looked at me intensely when I opened my mouth to retort. I quickly shut it "-so we need to strengthen our forces here. Miss Thomas, how are you doing with the operation I asked of you?"

I winced through my teeth. "Not good, Professor," I told him, "Voldemort doesn't trust me as much as he used to. Not since the... incident... with the Felix." I was talking about how I had talked Slughorn out of making Felix Felicis. The other Death Eaters had reported me to the Dark Lord. He was most displeased. Five minutes non-stop of the Cruciatus curse. Painful.

Dumbledore sighed.

"Well, I suppose nothing much can be done this meeting," he said sadly, "But please be aware of the dangers we may face in the near future. No matter what you may say, Miss Thomas, Voldemort _is _becoming stronger and it's only a matter of time before our forces are put to the test. Good day to you all."

**AN: Dun, dun, ****duuuun**

**Voldy's****gerrin****stronga**

**Ahem**

**Yeah...**

**Review?**** I'll give you a cookie. : )**

**E/N:****This chapter was edited by ****WomanOfSporks**


	8. Of Arguments And Even More Arguments

**WOW!**

**Lots and Lots of new reviewers!**

**YAAY!**

**Right, well.**

**I'm going away for a couple of days so I ****wonâ****€™t ****be**** able to update.**

**So I decided to do it now.**

**Even though it's five past one in the morning, so if it's not my best work,**

**then****thatâ****€™s why.**

**ENJOY!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned the world, I would also own five more wardrobes, a**

**massive**** 50 million " TV, 10 more laptops and everything to do with Harry**

**Potter.**** If I did own this, the world would be a much happier place.**

**Unfortunately, I don't. ****So all this stuff is not mine.**** --Sniffle-- But, I**

**swear****, one day soon, Harry Potter will be MINE! MWAHAHAHA!! --****ClearsThroat****--**

**Yeah. I'm fine. **

Chapter 8

When Dumbledore dismissed the rest of the Order, I stayed in my seat at the back.

Was Voldemort really becoming stronger? Was I missing the signs or just refusing to see them?

"Mr Potter, please could you and your friends stay behind for a moment or two?" Dumbledore asked. I knew what was coming. What was it? 'National Peace Day'?

I tip-toed towards the door praying that Dumbledore wouldn't see me.

"Now, now, Alana. You know better than that." Crap. Busted.

I stopped and sighed.

"I'm not going to get out of this, am I?" I asked rhetorically. I pursed my lips as he shook his head and gestured towards the seats.

I sighed and threw my arms into the air in exasperation then slumped into one of the chairs closest to me, arms folded.

"What's the matter, sir?" Potter asked. I looked heavenwards. Merlin help me.

"Well, Mr Potter, as a result of Miss Thomas also working here in the Order, I'm afraid the actions of certain people-" CoughBlackCough "-seemed to have, shall we say, hit a snag."

I froze and looked at the old coot through a weary eye.

"What are you talking about, Dumbledore?" I asked him. He smiled the secret smile of his and his eyes twinkled merrily.

"Good luck," was all he said as he walked out of the room, the door closing behind him. I winced as I heard the familiar sound of a lock. Potter, Black, Remus, Peter, Lily and I all looked at the door in silent amazement, only broken by my, "No freaking way."

"Where's he gone?" Peter asked.

"Where do you think, Ratboy?" I retorted.

All was silent as we sat in our chairs. All of a sudden, a burst of flame appeared in the middle of the table at the centre of the room. When the flames disappeared, a letter lay in its wake.

I rushed towards it and let out a victory poking-out-of-the-tongue at Black who I had bet by milliseconds.

" '_Dear students_'," I read, " '_I suppose you are all wondering what you are doing locked in this room with your arch-enemy'. _No shit, Sherlock._ 'Well, I suppose the Order Of The Phoenix cannot accept foolish behaviour such as a childish grudge. The door will open when every single person in Room 9A, The Hogs Head, Hogsmeade, makes amends. Yes, Miss Thomas, that includes you.' _Hey! I resent that!"

"Quit your murmurings, Thomas, and read the bloody letter!" Black shouted at me. I harrumphed, but continued anyway.

" '_Only when this task is completed will you be able to eat, drink or, if needed, use the bathroom. Although this may seem harsh, it is all necessary in the need of greater good. Hoping you are well, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.' _Well. That put the icing on the cake, didn't it?"

"So, in simpler terms, we can't get out of this stupid room until we all make amends with you?" Black said staring at me. My mouth opened in shock.

"What about Evans? Doesn't she hate Potter's guts?"

"You're a bit behind on the times, Thomas," Potter said, moving towards Lily and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "She came to her senses a while back. We've been dating for almost 2 week."

I folded my arms.

"Thrilling," I said dryly, "So now I have to be all chummy with you Gryffindors?" I scoffed, "Like that's ever going to happen."

Remus sighed.

"Alana, stop being your bitchy self so we can get out of here! I need to use the Little Wizards Room!" I slapped my forehead whilst Black's mouth gaped open like a fish.

"You... you... you called her by her first name," he said, his voice a few octaves higher than it should have been.

"What's the matter, Black?" I asked, "You're whatsit's finally dropped?" I walked towards Remus, "And, Rem, I may like being my bitchy self and you can pee your pants for all I care because I am NOT being friends with HIM!"

" 'Rem'?" Black asked, his voice even higher, " 'Rem'? What in the name of Azkaban is going on?!"

"Didn't Remus tell you?" I asked sweetly, "He and I have been chums for a while now."

" 'Chums'?!" he squeaked. I swear, I could've mistaken him for a woman with how high his voice was getting, "I think I need to sit down." He sat into an unoccupied chair and covered his face with his hands. I could hear certain phrases like, 'Friends!' and 'A Gryffindor and Slytherin... A _Slytherin!_'

"Sirius," James said rolling his eyes, "Remus trusts her. Dumbledore trusts her. How bad can she be?" He held out his hand and I cautiously grasped it.

"For the sake of the Order," he said and released my hand. Lily replaced him and smiled warmly at me. I could only smile back. So sue me! It was contagious.

Whilst Black was coming to his senses, my thoughts strayed to those of a certain large dog.

"I wonder where Snuffles is..." I muttered aloud.

"Who?" James asked. I shook my head and looked at the floor.

"Oh, it doesn't matter," I replied. I still found it hard to talk to him, even if we did settle on an agreement, "Just this stray dog I found. Named it Snuffles, but I haven't seen him in a while... maybe you've seen him?" I added hopefully looking up.

Remus shrugged and James and Lily looked at me intently. Black was still sitting in the chair murmuring to himself.

"He's black. And quite big too. He's got grey eyes I think," I didn't catch James' shifty look towards the occupied chair. I also missed Sirius' look of horror as his face reappeared from behind his hands.

"Looks a lot like the Grim, now I think about it... You know, the Death Omen that we learnt about in Divin-"

"Well then!" Sirius interrupted, "Guess you're right James, how bad can she be?" He grasped my hand as he jumped up from his chair.

We heard the loud click of the door being unlocked and Remus jumped to his feet and flung open the door. He disappeared down the corridor.

"The Little Wizards Room," Black, Lily, James and I chorused.

I settled back into my chair at the back of the room, having no intention of leaving at the moment.

I just heard Peters question of, "Where did Remus go?" and a sharp crack that made me realise that he had been hit at the side of the head before the door to the room closed and I was plunged into complete silence.

_Well..._ I thought, _t__hat was eventful..._

**There we are!**

**Like I said before, I'm off away for a couple of days and I'm leaving my**

**beloved**** laptop here unfortunately.**

**BUT a HUGE stack of reviews to come back to would be amazing!**

**HintHint**

**Stacey**

**x**

**P.S**

**HI TO ALL MY NEW REVIEWERS OUT THERE!!**

**E/N: This chapter like the others has been edited by ****WomanOfSporks**


	9. Of A Mad Voldy And Unforgivable Curses

**Disclaimer:**

**If I owned Harry Potter I would not be writing ****fanfiction**** on a website. I would be writing books about the gorgeous Sirius and Remus and the couple James and Lily and the ****slimeball**** Peter in their days at Hogwarts. As it is, I don't own HP. I would like to, but I don't.**

Chapter 9

"My Lord," I said bent down onto my knees, "You called, and as a faithful servant, I shall obey." I mentally vomited. How corny was that?

"Alana," he hissed with a smile that made him seem even more menacing than he was, "You are a faithful one, are you not?"

"Of course, My Lord," I lied, "I will be forever faithful." Voldemort smiled again.

"I have decided to over-look the incident of the Felix Felicis. I am sure you had your reasons."

"Thank you, My Lord!" I grovelled, "I have reasons for what I did. My Lord, the old fool Slughorn had decided for only one batch of the potion to be made per pair of people in his class, me and Snape included. Only two potions would not suffice for you, My Lord, for you had requested at least 4 batches.

"Had any been stolen from Slughorn's private cupboards or even from the other students would have been reported to Dumbledore. The Muggle lover has reason to believe that there are Death Eater students in his midst. He would have no reason not to take a search into our dormitories. From that he would find most of our plans from the meetings I have attended. That would be much worse than any Felix could help, My Lord. Please forgive me."

It was long winded, but it was made up on the spot. I thought it made sense. Hopefully it did. I braced myself for the _Crucio _that could follow this made-up story, but it was to no prevail. I was unharmed.

"As I said before, Alana," he said through clenched teeth, "I am going to look beyond this incident. I do not have the time nor the patience to listen to your witty explanations." I silently scoffed. I made up all _that _for nothing. Lovely.

"Tell me, faithful one, when the next Hogsmeade trip is."

I mentally racked my brains... The notice on the board said... Said...

"The fifteenth of October, My Lord. The Muggle Lover is holding a Halloween Ball on the 31st. He decided to hold an extra trip for costumes to be purchased."

He leaned back and steepled his fingers.

"That would be most excellent. The Muggle Lover Dumbledore has become more and more aware of my..." he smirked, "plans. I have decided to give him a taste of what I am able to do. An attack. On Hogsmeade weekend. And I would like you, my most faithful one, to assist me."

"Of course, My Lord," I said whilst grimacing inside, "I would do anything for my Master."

"How can it be cancelled?"

"What are we going to do for costumes?"

"Is this another one of Dumbledore's ideas?"

The comments surrounded me as I glanced at the Notice Board in the Slytherin Common Room. A large note was taped to the board.

_Students;_

_The upcoming Hogsmeade visit has been cancelled. Information will be given at the Dinner Feast on the 12__th__ October. _

_Professor Dumbledore_

I sighed. Today was the 12th October, and I had only just noticed the note. I had had no choice but to tell Dumbledore of the Dark Lords plan. Otherwise, the student body would be in danger, and my job was to avoid that.

Soon enough after uneventful lessons dinner was served but before anyone could so much as touch it, Dumbledore stood and the hall became silent.

"As many of you are wondering why the upcoming visit to Hogsmeade village is being cancelled, I have had an idea that does not require the village being used. At a recent tea party with Professor Flitwick's second sister's husband's grandmother, she told me of a Halloween Ball she had encountered at her old school in America."

A sudden flair of pain in my left arm made me scream in agony. I fell off of the bench, but made sure not to clutch at my arm. If I did that, certain people would get suspicious. But the hurt did not subside and more than a couple of people began to look at me. Okay, make that the entire hall.

I chuckled a bit, but another painful twinge in my arm made me wince.

"Erm... Stabbed myself with the fork. Don't mind about me. Erm... Continue." I smiled but gazed intently at Dumbledore. He gave a slight nod.

"As I was saying, this certain Lady told me of how instead of buying the costumes, the students made them themselves. I have decided that this is a brilliant idea and I will supply the materials. You may use some of your own clothes if you wish. The best costume will be given a prize which is yet to be decided."

He sat himself down, gave a small wink in my direction and began to eat. As the eating seemed like a chain reaction, I slipped out of the hall and towards the school gates with only one pair of amber eyes following me.

Sensing someone looking at the back of my head, I turned around and found Remus' gaze. I gave him an empty smile and mouthed 'I'll be okay'. He didn't look too convinced, but nodded and continued to eat.

When I began to run across the grounds, I gave a small but genuine smile. Someone _did _care about me. It was like I had an over-protective brother. Bless.

When the iron gates of the school clashed behind me, I concentrated on the hide-out that Voldemort was using and apparated there. I donned my Death Eater mask and robe and breathed out deeply.

Marching towards the main hall, I tried to hold an air of arrogance, but a sudden thought stopped me in my tracks. Snape hadn't shown any sign of being called. It was just me.

My eyes filled with tears, but I had no idea why. I just had a sudden sense of dread. I breathed deeply and pushed open the door.

He sat there on his throne like chair, gaze on me as I scurried along the floor, collapsed to my knees and kissed the hem of his robe.

"My Lord, as you called, I shall obey."

"_Crucio_," he hissed, wand pointed at me. I felt the most excruciating pain, like a thousand hot knives piercing my skin. But I had endured worse and the scream that was rising in my throat was clamped down.

"Tell me, Alana," he hissed as he lifted the curse, "Why Dumbledore has decided to cancel the Hogsmeade trip."

"My Lord," I kissed the hem of his robe again for luck, "The Muggle Lover has decided to come up with a different way for the students to make their costumes. I had no idea until dinner not five minutes ago. Please forgive me, My Lord."

After a couple more _Crucio_'s, he decided to change tactics.

"_Imperio_," he muttered. _Stand up_, a voice said in my ear. I tried to ignore it, but my body responded. I stood. _Walk to the window and open it. _ My eyes widened as I realised what Voldemort was trying to make me do, but again, my body started to respond.

I tried my hardest to fight it, and soon enough a thin layer of sweat began to form on my forehead. Voldemort saw that I was trying to fight the curse as his eyes glared at me.

"You dare try and defy me?" he asked and his hand slapped against my cheek with such force that I was thrown to the floor. My arm twisted awkwardly underneath me as I landed on it and I felt a flair of pain as it snapped.

The sudden break of my arm seemed to distract Voldemort enough for him to lift the curse for a second. Just long enough for me to reach into my robe, activate a Portkey and land before a certain grey eyed Gryffindor's feet before I passed out from pain.

_It was dark. It was the only way to describe it. Darkness. I could see nothing. Not even myself. I didn't even feel like myself. Just a small figment. Something that wasn't really there. One thought was running through my mind; _Am I dead?_ It was impossible to tell. _

_Alana..._

_That was my name. But it had no meaning. It was just a word. A word that didn't have any reason to why I was here._

_Alana..._

_The word repeated itself through my 'mind'. Where was I? Was there a reason? Or was I imagining everything?_

_Alana..._

_Words flashed before me. They didn't register to begin with. They were just words._

_You are the one. The one who holds the eye to the future. But remember... No matter what... Do not be afraid..._

_Alana..._

_I was the one._

A bright light flashed before me and entered my mind. Everything I had just witnessed made no sense. Was it a dream? A figment of my imagination? Or was it a warning? A kind of future reference? I had no way to tell... I would never know...

"What happened?"

I would never know...

**AN: A tad weird at the end, I know.****But everything becomes clear soon.****Hopefully.**

**Review?**

**Stacey**

**X**

**E/N: This chapter and all the others before it ****was**** edited by ****WomanOfSporks**

Chapter 10

I awoke to a white room. At first I thought I was in one of those Muggle Asylum things, but then I was brought back to my senses by the young trainee nurse bustling around me.

I groaned and brought a hand to my head.

"What happened?" I asked and my eyes widened at how scratchy my voice sounded.

"Ah," Madame Pomfrey said with a smile, "You're awake." A bunch of potions were bundled into my arms and were forced down my throat.

"How do you feel?" she asked when every last drop of the potions were gone.

"Tired. Sore. Like sh-"

"If I were you, I wouldn't finish that sentence."

I looked to where the voice was coming from.

"Remus!" He and the rest of the Marauders and Lily were walking through the door.

Madame Pomfrey sighed and tapped her foot.

"Five minutes!" she exclaimed, "Five minutes and you will go. My patient needs rest!"

"Wait..." I said shocked, "You're here to see me?"

"Well, duh. You're my '_chum_'apparently," Remus said and sat at the chair next to me.

"You saved my life," Lily reasoned, "It's only fair."

"I came because she did." James wrapped an arm around Lily.

Sirius grumbled.

"We made him come," James chuckled.


	10. Of Muggle Asylums and Sudden Realisation

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor ever will (unfortunatly), own Harry Potter, his friends, or the magnifficent books by JK Rowling and I dont even own the movies. I think I'll go off and cry now...**

Chapter 10

I awoke to a white room. At first I thought I was in one of those Muggle Asylum things, but then I was brought back to my senses by the young trainee nurse bustling around me.

I groaned and brought a hand to my head.

"What happened?" I asked and my eyes widened at how scratchy my voice sounded.

"Ah," Madame Pomfrey said with a smile, "You're awake." A bunch of potions were bundled into my arms and were forced down my throat.

"How do you feel?" she asked when every last drop of the potions were gone.

"Tired. Sore. Like sh-"

"If I were you, I wouldn't finish that sentence."

I looked to where the voice was coming from.

"Remus!" He, the rest of the Marauders and Lily were walking through the door.

Madame Pomfrey sighed and tapped her foot.

"Five minutes!" she exclaimed, "Five minutes and you will go. My patient needs rest!"

"Wait..." I said shocked, "You're here to see me?"

"Well, duh," Remus said in a 'no nonsense' tone, "You're my '_chum_'apparently," He sat down at the chair next to me.

"You saved my life," Lily reasoned, "it's only fair."

"I came because she did." James wrapped an arm around Lily.

Sirius grumbled.

"We made him come," James chuckled. It seemed like I had no choice in the matter. Whether I wanted visitors or not, they were here to stay.

I ignored the figure in the corner (Black) and looked towards Lily.

"How did you know I saved you?" I asked her. She glanced quickly towards Sirius and back to me, but at the time my head was pounding and little movements like that were missed.

"A little... dog... told me," she said with a smile.

My eyes widened slightly in disbelief.

"A... dog?"

She nodded.

I shook my head and wondered slightly if any of the potions that the nurse had given me had any 'loss of hearing' side effects.

"What happened to me?" I repeated for about the twenty millionth time.

"We were hoping you could tell us," Remus replied, "All we know is that you left in the middle of dinner and had to portkey back. According to Dumbledore you've had some Unforgivable Curses used on you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Dumbledore told you all this?"

Remus began to look sheepish, looking everywhere but at me. "Well... You see..."

"We listened in outside the door," James said bluntly.

"Well... How did I get to the Hospital Wing then?" I asked, "If I portkey'd to Hogwarts then I probably ended up in the grounds. Who found me?"

Everyone looked at each other with clueless expressions.

"We don't know. We only heard that you'd been hurt when a couple of third years were talking about it in the common room."

Sirius mumbled something in his chair, but everyone assumed he was still grumbling from being dragged there against his will.

"It has to be a Slytherin," Lily said, "No offence, but all the other houses don't exactly... like you."

Sirius mumbled again, but still didn't look up from the floor.

"I'm not on their Christmas list, that's for sure... Right, so it's a Slytherin. It has to be at least sixth or seventh year. No one else would be strong enough to carry me. If you haven't noticed, I'm not the thinnest wand in the shop."

They all raised their eyebrows, at what I don't know. It was true. I had flab hanging everywhere. No wonder I'd only had one boyfriend, and that was to get to my best friend at the time. She was the most gorgeous person I've ever seen. Long flowing blonde hair, deep blue eyes, flawless skin. Sometimes it amazed even me that she was put in Slytherin. But the year before last she was transferred to Beauxbattons **(AN: sp?)**. Once again I was deserted.

"I found you, okay?!" Sirius exclaimed out of nowhere.

"What?!" Lily, James, Remus and I shouted. It was at that moment in time that I realised that Peter was nowhere to be seen. It was strange when you think about it. Wherever the Marauders were, he was soon to follow. Ah, speak of the devil.

The doors flung open and the chubby boy waddled in to the Hospital Wing.

"Sorry I'm late guys," he mumbled in a whiny voice, "Slughorn kept me for longer for my detention than I thought he would."

Sirius was looking at the floor as if ashamed of himself, whilst everyone else looked at him with wide eyes.

"What did I miss?" Peter asked.

"Only the scariest thing ever to happen," Remus told him, his gaze never wavering from Sirius.

"Oh," Peter mumbled and sat down on the bed opposite and started to eat some chocolate.

"Why?" I managed to choke out.

"Why?" he stood up and looked at me. There was something in his eye that I couldn't quit identify. "Because I know what it's like to pass out from pain. I know what it's like to have no one to talk to. I know what it's like to not have any real friends."

"So you saved my life because you pitied me?" I asked in disbelief. I couldn't believe it. Sirius ' I Am Holier Than Thou' Black pitied me because I didn't have any real friends. I could only name one or two Slytherins that actually _had _people who would die for them – family excluded, so I was nothing special

He shook his head.

It seemed as if he would stop there, so I ushered my hands to try and egg him on. I myself wanted to know why my arch enemy saved me when I was on the brink of death. It would be his dream come true to never see me again.

"I saved you because it was the right thing to do," he said. The doors to the Hospital Wing banged shut behind him as he stormed out of the room.

"Well... That was different," James muttered.

"Out! Out! It's already been ten minutes! My patient needs rest! Out!" Madame Pomfrey ushered the Marauders and Lily out of the Hospital Wing and the silence that followed was deafening.

"'It was the right thing to do'?" I whispered with wide eyes before the trainee nurse once again bombarded me with potions.

My last thought before I fell into a dreamless sleep – from the potion, not because my mind was void of all 'bad things' – was that maybe Sirius and myself were more alike than I imagined. It just took me a near death experience to realise it.

I was released from the Hospital Wing a day later only because Madame Tucker said she would knock me out herself if I stayed in another day.

"I know a song that'll get on your nerves, get on your nerves, get on your nerves. I know a song that'll get on your nerves, and this is how it goes."

That repeated over and over – I lost count at fifty six – is enough to make any old nurse go senile. She released me on the one condition that I didn't go to any classes for that day. That was fine by me. Who'd pass up an offer to _not _go to class? Well, certainly not me.

Now that I was free from the hawk-like eye of Madame Pomfrey and her basket full of potions, I had enough time on my hands to think back on what Sirius had said.

'It was the right thing to do'.

A sudden flashback took my mind to the train ride at the beginning of the year. It was only the fifteenth of October (I had been out cold for a couple of days) but it seemed like a lifetime since I saw the bright red steam train.

It was the right thing to do when I dropped my Slytherin shell in aid to help other people. It was the right thing to do to put aside my differences with Black so that it wouldn't get in the way. It was the right thing to do to pretend to hate any living thing that was half-blood or less. It was the right thing to do to spy on Voldemort for the Order, even if it got me killed in the process. It was the right thing to do to be a Death Eater. Why? Because if I didn't, lives would be at stake. We were in the middle of a war, and it wasn't until that point that the blow hit me full on.

**AN:**

**I had a bit of trouble with this chapter.****Writer block again! –****SheepishSmile****—**

**Anyway, tell me what you think!**

**Any plot ideas are welcomed with a cookie!!**

**Stacey**

**xxx**


	11. Que Sera, Sera

**Chapter 11 – Que Sera, Sera**

My Dark Mark burned for the second time that day, but with my teeth gritted I continued with my potion essay.

_Moonstone is comenly founde in many parts of Britaine where the sun can reech and where shade can cast upone it. Withoute these key pointes, the Moonstone cannot fully develope._

It had been a week since I had turned upon the Dark Lord. He had sent little reminders in the form of pain through my Dark Mark in an aid to remind me what I had in store for when he found me.

_Moonstone is made when the full moone casts a directe lite upone a regular stone with no cloude coverage to deflect the lite._

I knew what would happen if he found me. I had willingly gone against my 'beliefs' and now I had to pay the price. Death would await me. But, Merlin forbid, I would not go down without a fight.

_Moonstone is very rare. It takes over a hundred yeares to fulley develope __and the useage that it can do when it is made is amazing. _

I had seen little of the Marauders or Lily. Probably because I had kept to the Slytherin Common Room, I suppose. I only ventured out at night now and to class obviously. But with the upcoming NEWTS (that weren't even nearly here) every teacher had gone all out to make sure no one talked during lessons.

_This one rocke can give the bearer one wishe that will be granted imeediatly. When the wishe is completed, the Moonstone shrivels into a shiny pebble then disapeers into a cloude of smoke.__The last nown Moonstone was in 1876, meening that a new one should be appeering sometime in the near future._

The rumbling of my stomach brought me out of my essay. I hadn't eaten since breakfast and it was ten at night now. A picture flashed before my eyes. A double scooped vanilla ice-cream, topped with Brazilian chocolate sauce and a glace cherry. My mouth watered as the picture in my mind became more pronounced (a selection of finely chopped nuts were cascading down the chocolate) and before I knew it, the Slytherin Common Room was far behind me as I made my way to the kitchens.

As I walked along the portrait clad walls, I reminisced over my years at Hogwarts. In my first year I could hardly walk three steps without getting lost in the long and winding staircases. And now, on my way to the kitchens, I was hardly paying attention and yet I was almost there. My train of thought changed. Dumbledore had said in a private meeting in his office that Voldemort wasn't the happiest of bunnies at the moment. He didn't have to tell me. My arm was constantly aching from all the torture. The talk with Dumbledore led me on to think about the War. Which side would I fight on? Would Voldemort accept me in his ranks once again? Or will I have to side with the Light, go into hiding until Voldemort was defeated?

_Que Sera, Sera... Whatever will be, will be...The future's not ours to see... Que Sera, Sera..._

I reached out a hand and tickled the pair that led into the kitchen. The handle formed before my eyes and I grasped it.

"Well, well, well," a voice muttered behind me, "Looks like I'm not the only one on a midnight rendezvous."

I rolled my eyes.

"Hardly a 'midnight rendezvous', Black. It's only ten thirty."

He shrugged and walked closer towards me. Too close for comfort in my books.

"What do you _want _Black?" I asked exasperated.

"Well, if you must know," he replied, "As I was with my fellow Marauders discussing the plans for an upcoming 'Back To School' prank, I had a sudden urge to eat some ice cream topped with Brazilian chocolate and a glace cherry. And maybe, just maybe, I might go all out and have some chopped nuts."

My mouth dropped open.

"Don't look like that, my sweet arch enemy. You look like one of Hagrid's Gobble Fish."

My eyebrows knitted together in annoyance, and in a huff I stamped my foot and continued into the kitchen.

A cluster of elves ran towards us and gathered at our feet. A collection of "Hello!"'s and "By gum, what can _we _do for _you_?"'s filled the air. But an elf in the distance that seemed to be carrying one more tray than it could handle, managed to trip on a rag and fall into a rubbish tip. The elves clustering around us ran to help their colleague. All except one.

"Madame. Sir. What can Pinky do for you this evening?" She had a high voice, almost like a pixies, and she had long bat like ears which drooped at the ends. As Black bent down to face her, her big brown orbs widened in delight.

"Well, Miss Pinky, me and my... acquaintance here would like two bowls of vanilla ice cream, with chocolate sauce, chopped nuts and a cherry please."

Her mouth dropped open.

She managed to squeak a "Of course, sir" and went on her way, the tips of her ears blushing a deep pink.

I scoffed.

"That's great, that is. You even get the non-human species falling at your feet."

He smiled wistfully and my stomach did this little funny thing. I ignored it.

"I do, don't I?" he said rhetorically.

Pinky rushed back to us, two big bowls of ice cream in her arms.

"Miss. Sir. Your ice cream."

Sirius thanked her profusely (her ears went red this time) and I gave my nod of thanks.

"What are you doing here anyway?" I asked Black as we sat at a table, "Don't you think I'm going to body bind you, use you as a guinea pig for my evil tester spells and then leave you for the squid to have his wicked way with you?"

He smirked.

"Are you?"

I managed to show a thoughtful look and once again ignored the fluttering in my stomach.

"I haven't decided yet."

He chuckled and I took a huge gulp of ice cream to stop him from seeing my blush. What the hell was wrong with me? Blushing? Fluttering in the stomach? It's like I was falling for someone. But who? The elves? 'Cause it _definitely _wasn't the Gryffindor in front of me. Or was it?

_You know it is_ a voice said in my head. I almost groaned aloud. My conscience was back.

_You luuuuurve him. You think he's gorgeous. You want to kiss him. You want hug him. You want to love him. You want to smooch him._

By now, there was a little tune in my head playing along to the words.

"GO AWAY!" I yelled and the once noisy kitchen quietened. I looked up to see a pair of frightened blue eyes staring back into mine. It just so happened that at my outburst another tiny elf had come up to see if I wanted any more nuts. At my shout, everyone – including him – thought that it was directed at the creature before me. Before I could say anything, he had turned his back on me and was scurrying away as fast as he could.

"You know, Thomas," said a Black from behind me, "I know you want to get me on your own and everything, but don't you think that this is taking it a bit too far?"

My mouth gaped open like a fish once more. That was it. If he wanted comebacks, he'll get some.

"Like, oh my God, Siri, how could you even, like, think that?" I said in a high pitched voice and flicked my hair over my shoulder, "I am sooooo like your number one fan! There's this like, picture of you, like hung up on my wall _right _next to my bed and I, like, kiss it every, like, night."

He chuckled again and the feeling returned in my stomach.

"And that's the reason you want to hex me at any given moment."

"Damn straight."

Two seconds later and we were rolling on the kitchen floor laughing for all we were worth.

As we walked back to the hall that separated the Gryffindor route from the Slytherin, Sirius and I had smiles on our faces. It was just gone eleven thirty and we were both squished under James' invisibility cloak and trying our hardest to quench the giggles that arose in our throats. One of us only had to say the word 'like' and we'd be off again.

But as we reached the crossroads and – after checking for teachers – flicked off the cloak, we both became serious (never mind the pun).

Sirius looked me straight in the eyes.

"You know, maybe you're not as bad as I thought you were."

I smiled.

"And maybe you're not as pig-headed as I thought you were."

"Acquaintances?" he asked and held out his hand.

"Acquaintances," I confirmed and met his hand with my own. But instead of shaking like normal people, he raised my hand to his face and scraped my knuckles with his lips. The fluttering returned more pronounced than ever and he muttered 'good night', dropped my hand and continued on the way back to Gryffindor tower.

The smile was on my face for the most of the night. The struggle for sleep was more pronounced than ever as I tried to calm my beating heart.

**Like OMG!!!!!****It's like... CHANGED A BIT.**

**SHE FANCIES HIM LIKE LOADS YEAH!**

**:D**

**And what's this about Moonstone?**

**Just a Potions essay?**

**Or something more?**

**REVIEW!!**

**Stacey**

**P.S OMG, he kissed her hand!!! DDDDDDDDDD**

**P.P.S The little 'You want to kiss him, you want to hug him' etc thing was taken from **_**Miss Congeniality**_**. Credit goes to the writers of that for the hilarious tune!!**


	12. Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes

-1Chapter 12

Overall, my life was difficult those few days after I had secretly met with Sirius. Yes, it was Sirius now. Not Black. Sirius.

His laugh made my stomach flutter like a thousand butterflies were trapped inside. His deep grey eyes when they found mine made my cheeks tinge a deep red. His touch as he brushed past me in the corridor made my skin tingle in delight.

Oh, yes. I had it bad.

But Sirius hadn't talked to me since that night. Not even a 'hi' in a deserted hall. Not so much as a small smile.

It amazed me how much I had progressed since that fateful night. I was acting more and more like a normal human being. I was beginning to have feelings, not just a shield around my mind so I was void of all emotion. I was beginning to believe in myself and the words of my father's abuse were slowly fading from my head.

Monday lunch found me outside the Transfiguration classroom, reading. Yes, you read correctly. I had decided to throw myself into my studies. My Dark Mark burned frequently and I had to find something to take away the pain.

I had a feeling inside of me whenever I glanced at my left forearm. I knew that Voldemort would find me sooner or later. I just chose the latter.

I knew that when he found me, I would die. It didn't matter that I was only seventeen and my life had barely started. Two years ago, I gave my soul to him. He had it to keep and as long as the tattoo was shown on my arm, I was his.

I didn't want to die. My life was looking up. Though Sirius had hardly glanced my way, Remus and I had taken a friendship. We were interested in the same things, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms and teaching.

Believe it or not, I wanted to be a teacher. Any subject would do. Just the thought of being at the front of a class of thirty or so pupils and expanding their knowledge appealed to me. But just glancing at my forearm, I knew I could never. But Remus still had a chance.

Though I didn't want to die, the thought of living whilst Voldemort was on the lookout for me made chills run up my spine. The Dark Lord showed no mercy. He didn't even bat an eyelid when we attacked a Muggle village and he killed a set of twin girls, no older than eight years old. He chuckled when an old lady tried to protect herself by running behind her bed and murmuring the Lord's Prayer before her cruel end. If he didn't care then, then he wouldn't care with me. I would be gone before you could say 'See you' and I'd never cross his mind again.

_I don't wanna die  
But I ain't keen on living either.._

Robbie Williams 

Engrossed in my Transfiguration book, I didn't notice the presence beside me until I felt a nudge on my arm. I looked sideways to see a mop of fiery red hair and deep, emerald green eyes.

"Hi, Lily," I murmured quietly.

"Hey, yourself," she responded cheerfully, "Made anyone cry today?"

In an instant my response kicked in and before I knew it, I was replying. 

"Unfortunately, no. But it's only 12:30. I've got time."

The end of dinner bell rung and the Transfiguration door flew open. I walked in and took a seat on the middle row. I looked at Lily in shock and amazement as she sat down next to me. 

"What are you doing?!" I whisper-hissed.

"Sitting down..." she said as if talking to a five year old.

"I know that, dumbass," I replied, "I mean what are you doing sitting next to me?! I'm a Slytherin!"

"Oh, I know," she said and took out her quill and ink from her bag, "I'm fed up of all this House rivalry nonsense. I don't see the point in it, to be honest. But I'll move if you don't want me to sit with you." 

She looked at me slyly through her hair. She knew. She knew that I didn't agree with the 'Mudblood' issues. She knew that I had no valid reason to make her move. She knew that a battle was going on inside of me.

I was going to die anyway, sooner or later, so why not live life to the full? But what would the rest of my house say when they saw that I was sitting next to not only a Gryffindor, but a Mudblood too!

_Since when did you care about what your house thought of you? Most of them know you're a blood traitor now anyway..._

I hadn't thought about it like that. Of course Voldemort would have told his 'loyal' Death Eaters to search for me. I was one of the inner circle... I had valid information and I was on the loose...

"Of course I don't mind, Lily my flower," I said with a bright smile, "Sit there for as long as you like." 

The lesson began only moments later. It was amusing to say the least. Every person that walked past our table stopped, gaped, and then whispered to their friends. Well, everyone except James, Sirius and Remus (Peter didn't achieve enough in his OWLS to make it to Advanced Transfiguration). They just smiled, winked and continued on.

The door flung open once again and Professor McGonagall walked in.

"Attention! Attention, please! Now today we will be starting on-"

From there on, the smile never left my face. She took one look at me and Lily, banged into her desk with her mouth open. The full bottle of ink that was perched on the end tumbled off and splattered on to the floor. The ink sprayed up onto the unsuspecting students on the front row, who just so happened to be Malfoy and his cronies.

It was by far the best lesson in Hogwarts history.

Whispers followed me around the entire castle as I made my way to my last lesson. It seemed that news travelled fast at Hogwarts.

As I climbed upwards into the Divination classroom and I realised I was the last to enter. There was only six people in this class, including me. Hardly anyone had time for it, especially with this being NEWT year. But somehow I had made it to the Advanced class and as much as I hated to admit it, I enjoyed it.

Ever since I found out that I was a seer, I had taken the whole 'I-Can-See-Into-The-Future' thing into consideration.

The other five students – two Gryffindors, a Ravenclaw, and two Hufflepuffs (I was the only Slytherin) – were sat in a circle on the comfortable stools that the professor had provided, chatting amongst themselves until they saw me in which they quickly shut their traps and looked at each other with wide eyes. It wasn't hard to find out what they were talking about.

"Okay, Class," Professor Trelawney stated in her usual dreamy tone, "Today we will be inspecting the long lost art of palmistry. Also known as chirology or palm reading, this particular skill is also used in Muggle carnivals. Unlike most abilities in Divination, you do not have to possess the Inner Eye to be able to read palms. Sybil, if you will."

She gestured towards her niece, who quickly jumped to her feet and handed out a large sheet with a life size print of a palm to every student.

"In every palm reading, one must focus on three main categories; the fingers, the shape of the hand and most importantly, the lines of the palm. Now, who can tell me how many types of hand shapes there are?" 

As I flopped onto my bed in my dorm, I sighed contently. Today was by far the best that I had had since the day I joined the Death Eaters. I had a friend. A real friend. Not someone who felt sorry for me, or someone who was using me, or someone who was getting close to me just to turn it all around one day and break my heart...

A real friend.

_**AN  
Hey Ya'll  
Sorry for not updating for a while, but I was well and truly stuck.  
That's why this chapter has no real significance.  
It's just a filler.  
But I swear down that in the next couple of chapters, things will DEFFINATLY heat up.  
If you get what i mean  
-wink-  
Thanks for all those who've stood by me and reviewed lots and lots.  
They're what's keeping this story on the site.  
So, thanks guys!  
I hope as much as everyone else that I dont take as long to update the next chapter.  
:D  
LoveLove.  
xxxx**_


	13. There's A First Time For Everything

**Chapter 13**

From then on, Lily and I were inseparable. We did anything and everything together, even if it was just sitting by the lake. I was beginning to tell her things, thing that I had never told anyone else before.

"Lily?" I asked one day as we were dangling our feet in the lake, watching the Giant Squid playing with a few Third Years (it seemed he was in a good mood).

She looked up expectantly, green eyes alight with curiosity.

"Can I tell you something?"

She nodded her head in agreement and I bit my lip in anticipation.

My mind seemed to turn on me once again. It was happening a lot lately.

_What are you DOING? You can't tell her THAT._

But Remus knows. He hasn't told anyone. Who's saying that Lily will?

_Remus hasn't said anything because he's under the Oath. He can't even if he wanted to. _  
I sighed in regret and in defeat. For once, my mind was right. Deep down, I knew Lily would never tell a soul. But I was at that moment when I couldn't trust anyone.

"I love your eyes. Are they really that colour or did you charm them?" I murmured instead.

She gave a small smile and confirmed that they were that colour. As she looked away and also sighed, she knew that it wasn't what I was meaning to ask.

"So," she said, changing the conversation, "What are you dressing as tomorrow?"

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Why? What's happening tomorrow?"

Lily's eyes widened.

"You don't _know_?" she said horrified.

At the shake of my head, she threw her arms up in exasperation.

"It's the Halloween Masquerade you dipstick! I've only been talking about it for the past week. I am Head Girl, you know. I was the one made to decorate the entire Great Hall."

My mouth formed a little 'oh' shape.

"Sorry, Lily. I completely forgot."

When in doubt, I thought to myself, grovel.

"Could you help me, oh wise one?" I asked her, my eyes wide in admiration.

Lily smiled and shook her head at me.

"You know I will."

It was time. The day had passed and slowly the hour hand had reached eight o' clock on the night of All Hallows Eve. I twiddled my thumbs nervously as the loud 'GONG' of the clock gave out its tune.

With the help of Lily, I was unrecognisable. My usually black locks were charmed a honey-suckle blonde, it cascading down my back in tight curls. A wreath of leaves and flowers created a headband that settled on my new hair, the colourful petals matching my mask.

The mask covered half of my face, reaching just before the tip of my nose and dipping down my cheeks. It was covered in leaves of all shapes and arrays of differently coloured petals were arranged upon it.

My dress was a pale green, reaching just above my knees and fastening in laces at my back. The strapless top-half allowed space for the necklace Lily had gave me for the night. It was a silver chain and hanging from it, of course, was a lily.

I decided to wear green flat ballet shoes instead of bare feet. That was my original idea until Lily pointed out to me that most of the other students will be wearing shoes, meaning that I would more than likely have a broken toe by the end of the night.

It was only after all this that I actually figured out what Lily had made me wear. I was a nymph, the tree-dwellers that live in exile from the magical world.

As Lily rounded the corner on the fifth floor - the place that we were meeting - my mouth opened in shock and admiration. She really was beautiful.

She had no reason to change her hair or eye colour. Because of the two characteristic traits, everyone would know who she was and that she was James' girl. The two Heads were going to the Masquerade Ball together in celebration of their two month anniversary.

An emerald green prom dress clung tightly to her thin frame, and contrasted greatly with her fiery red hair. After the dress clung to her waist, it flew out around her hips and trailed behind her as that of a wedding dress.

Her hair was piled up into a bun above her head, certain curls framing her face and her pale complexion. She was also wearing a mask. The dark green material covered her face as mine did and was decorated with jewels and sequins that sparkled in the light.

"Come on," she said as she reached me, "Let's get going."

It took us longer than usual to reach the Great Hall as Lily was forever tripping over the hem of her dress, and the high heeled shoes wasn't making it any easier.

As we reached the Hall, my mouth dropped open once again. Lily really had outdone herself. It was the usual Halloween things, swooping bats, cobwebs and the like, but they were so lifelike it was like you had walked into a horror story.

The band - The Witching Hour - began to play a slow number and it surprised me greatly when a boy asked me to dance.

With a quick glance at the amount of face that I could see, it occurred to be that I didn't know the person. So with a nod and a smile, we made our way to the dance floor.

He had short, spiky blonde hair and deep blue eyes. His large hands placed themselves on my hips and he pulled me closer to his body. It was the closest I'd ever been to a boy before, but it seemed... right.

The night continued on and I spent nearly my entire time with the boy. In respect of the masquerade, we refrained from asking too many questions about ourselves.

The boy was from a troubled background, his parents disliked him and his brother tormented him endlessly. Of course, he retaliated and he had no other choice than to move away. He now lived on his own in a flat in London.

"Near Diagon Alley," he told me, "I didn't want to be too far away from the wizarding world. I mean, it's all I know. Of course, there's always the stuff we've learnt in Muggle Studies, but you can only learn a certain amount from Professor Ward."

I giggled. Yes, you read correctly. I giggled. But as we danced yet another slow song, my mind began to wander towards Sirius. I couldn't get him out of my mind. Even as I was resting my head against another boys shoulder, breathing in the scent of soap and - funnily enough - chocolate, I found myself thinking of him.

We began to stop our swaying, but the song continued its melody.

I looked deep into his blue eyes, and for a second, I thought they flashed a deep grey. And with that image still in my head, we both leant forward and our lips met.

It was the most wonderful thing I had ever experienced; my first kiss. I wished so badly for it to be Sirius, for the masked boy to be the one person that I felt so much for.

But somehow, I knew it would never be the same if I knew it wasn't really him.

So, though I regretted it so much, I pulled back. My eyes were still closed, the vision of Sirius imprinted in my eyelids.

I looked down to the floor and muttered the only thing I could before the waterworks began and I rushed out of the Great Hall.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

**AN:  
Okay. I am SO sorry for the late update and also the lameness of the chapter. But I rushed it cos I'm bored, so sorry for the horrible-ness of it. But it has a kiss scene in it, so that's a plus. RIght?**  
**Let me know what you think!!**  
xo


	14. Death Is But The Next Greatest Adventure

**Chapter 14**

"He was perfect, Lily," I said to her. We were settled in the Room of Requirement, laying on fluffy pink pillows and stuffing our faces with Honeydukes chocolate.

"He was a real gentleman. I only talked to him for a couple of hours or so, but it was like I had known him all my life. And when I looked at him, it was like a thousand pixies had been set free in my stomach." I took an extra large bite of my chocolate bar and frowned in self-pity. "And now all of that's gone. I'll never see him again. All because I was wimp enough to run away. Merlin, can you imagine it if it all got out? _Alana Thomas: Ex Death Eater Afraid Of Commitment_."

Lily chuckled.

"Don't be stupid," she said with a smile, "You're not afraid of commitment. You just feel like you're cheating on Sirius that's all."

"_Cheating_ on him?" I asked bewildered. "Lily, I'm not even going out with him. How can I be _cheating_ on him?"

"It's simple," she said through the chocolate in her mouth, "You like him so much that whenever you're with someone else he's all you can think about. So, obviously, when you were with Mr. Mystery you wanted it to be Sirius. So when you two finally kissed, you finally realised that no matter how much you wanted it to be, it wasn't. He wasn't Sirius. So then you think, 'Oh, crud, what have I done?' and you run away. It simple psychology really."

"It doesn't make it feel any better," I replied and drowned my sorrows in yet more chocolate.  
An hour later and it was close to curfew. Lily was expected to patrol the corridors at night, at wanted to get a head start so she could finish her homework before bed. After saying our goodbyes, I wandered down towards the Slytherin Common Room.

I said the password quietly when I reached the entrance, still a little bummed about the whole ordeal with the dude from the dance. The common room was almost empty when I entered it, only the rest of the seventh year girls huddled in a corner, giggling over something or other.

With a soothing thought that the dorm room must be free, I practically ran up the stairs to the girls rooms. I flopped down onto the bed for what seemed to be the hundredth time in just the almost newly started seventh year.

Without warning, I tumbled into a deep, dark sleep.

_Lily's red hair tumbled around her shoulders. Sucking in a deep breath, she leant in a blew a wet raspberry over the baby's stomach. __The baby giggled in delight, his hands reaching into the air and grasping at his mother's flaming locks. __James reached down towards the floor, and with the baby tight in his grip, spun him around until he giggled. __It was the perfect view of a happy family. __This ideal picture was broken by a ear splitting bang. The two adults looked up in fear. __"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!" __Lily nodded once and pressed a short but passionate kiss to his lips. Grabbing her son, she ran up the rickety stairs. __The front door flung open to reveal Lord Voldemort. __"Stand aside, you fool. I only need your son." __James reached inside his robe for his wand, black straight and shoulders proud. __"Never," he replied. __"Very well. It is not in my best interest to kill a pureblood. But, since you are a blood traitor, I think I can make an exception." __With a single 'Avada Kedavra', James fell to floor, back still straight, eyes wide and lost of their usual sparkle. _

_Voldemort smirked and stepped around his unmoving body. __The door to the nursery blew open, and Voldemort released a cackle of high-pitched laughter. __Lily sobbed uncontrollably, the tears streaming along her cheeks. __"Not Harry, not Harry, please, not Harry.." __Voldemort smiled. __"Stand aside, you silly girl…Stand aside now." __Lily shook her head, the sobs still racking her body but standing her ground - the only thing she could do to protect her baby. __"Not Harry, please, no, take me, kill me instead…" __Voldemort's smirk slowly but surely slid from his face. __"Stand aside!" he ordered, but Lily shook her head once more. __"Not Harry… have mercy… have mercy…" __A flash of green light enveloped the room, and with a dull 'thud', Lily fell to the floor, eyes wide and unmoving. __Voldemort cackled once more as the baby Harry began to cry. __"Finally… Finally I have you… Harry Potter, prepare to die…" __As the curse was uttered once more, the bright green light shot out of Voldemort's wand and headed straight for - _  
"NO!"

I sat bolt upright, heart slamming onto the surface of my ribcage. It took me a second to figure out where I was, eyes darting around in the darkness for anything remotely familiar. If it wasn't for Narcissa Black's manly snoring, I never would have realised that I was in the Slytherin dormitories.

I refused to fall asleep again. I didn't want to know what had happened to baby Harry. Was he dead? Of course he was. No one could survive the killing curse. I had seen that as Lily and James fell to the floor… Eyes dull and unmoving…

I shuddered as I thought of the dream. Was it a dream? Or a vision? Could I really see that far into the future? Was it even that far? It could happen at any time…

_Hold on a second_, I thought. It was Lily and James' child. Lily would've told me if she was pregnant. I had at least nine months. Nine months to find out what was going on.

As the sun slowly rose in the sky casting an eerie glow in the room, I came to a decision. Dumbledore. He was my only hope. He understood last time, what's to say he won't understand this time?

I quickly flung back the covers and the cold air hit my skin, automatically causing a selection of goosebumps to appear. After a very quick shower, I shimmied into my school uniform and - skipping breakfast entirely - started on the long trek to the headmasters office.

"Bon bons," I stated when I reached Flossie the gargoyle. I only hoped and prayed that he hadn't changed the password. I don't think it would have mattered either way, even if the password _was_ wrong. Floss was still half asleep, his mouth stretching into a yawn as I meandered up the staircase.

I quietly knocked on the wooden door that lead to Dumbledore's office, and entered at his equally quiet 'enter'.

"Good morning, sir," I muttered when I saw him behind his desk. He was up and ready, dressed in deep blue robes and pointed hat even though it was just past six.

"Ah, Miss Thomas, a pleasure to see you," he replied, eyes fixed upon a sheet of paper. When he looked up, his eyes seemed to widen of their own accord. "If you don't mind me saying, Miss Thomas, you look… how do you kids put it now-a-days..? Ah, yes. Rough."

I rolled my eyes slightly, but I new he was right. But, if you think about it, I had every right to be. I had seen my 

best friend being murdered. Merlin, give a girl a break.

"Thanks, sir," I replied sarcastically and plopped myself down in a comfy armchair.

"There is no doubt that something is plaguing you, Miss Thomas. Pray tell, what is wrong?"

I took a deep breath before I spilled my guts. I told him everything, from falling asleep, to the vision/dream, to staying awake all night and to coming to tell him everything.

Throughout the story, he had removed his glasses, blue eyes absent of the usual twinkle they possessed. When I slowly stumbled to a halt at the end of my story, he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well," he muttered, mainly to himself, "This _is_ serious."

I scoffed, though I wasn't entirely in the mood for jokes.

"No shit, Sherlock," I said. His mouth twitched slightly, though the twinkle did not return.

"C'mon, sir," I said, all seriousness returned, "It can't be true can it? I mean, I don't even know if it's a vision. It could just be a weird, wacky dream that's all. And isn't there like a… rule or something? I can't see _that_ far into the future can I? Even if it _is_ a vision, it's at least nine months away. That's almost a year. What are the chances?"

Dumbledore remained impassive.

"I must agree with you, Miss Thomas, that visions are not always entirely accurate. Most prophecy's are, however, and from what I have heard, this is not a prophecy. But this case must be treated with uttermost importance, for if it is indeed true, them your two friends are certainly in danger."

As the words left his mouth, I felt myself shiver again.

"But, sir, it still doesn't answer why you're treating this like a vision. It could still be a dream for all we know."

His answer was simple and to the point.

"I trust you, Miss Thomas. Therefore I trust your judgement when you believe that this was a vision."

I could feel my vision clouding over. Now, me, ex-death-eater, I'm not one for the lovey-dovey stuff. But this meant a lot. Dumbledore was my mentor, the one person I looked up to. And he trusted me.

"Thank you, sir," I said, choking a little on my words, "That means a lot."

He nodded with a smile like he understood then sighed slightly.

"If my feelings are correct, I think Mr Potter and Miss Evans will be awake at this time."

I looked towards a clock on the wall and saw that it was nearly seven thirty. Lily woke at 6:45am every morning to take a shower and get ready for the school day. And whenever Lily was awake, James was awake.

I nodded my agreement.

"Sir, are you really going to tell them? Don't you think it'll ruin their day knowing they're going to die and everything?" I said it in a light hearted tone, but we both knew the meaning was serious.

"I'm afraid there is no other choice, Miss Thomas. This vision includes them, and more importantly, their safety. I believe it would be in our best nature to tell them of their supposed fate."

After sending a couple of owls and a drinking a smooth, earl grey tea, the wooden door that I had entered not long ago were housing the silhouettes of James and Lily.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Lily asked a she stepped into the office, "You called for us?"

From there, everything seemed a blur. A hazy blur filled with tears and cursing (mainly from James).

"Look," I said to them as they both seemed to be on the verge of hysteria (again), "Just look on the bright side. You're going to get married. You're going to have a son. A beautiful bouncing baby boy." I shot them a smile and it seemed for the first time since they'd heard the news, to calm slightly.  


Lily looked at James, eyes bright with un-ushed tears and excitement.

"James," she muttered, "We're going to have a baby."

He nodded and kissed her forehead lovingly.

"I know, love," he replied, "I know."

When the reality sunk in, the room became tense once more. They would never get to see him grow up, see him ride his first broom, get his Hogwarts letter, find a girlfriend, settle down, get a job, have a child… They would never see him live his life.

"I know it's hard to think of right now," I said when they seemed on the brink of tears once more, "but try not to worry for the moment." When James opened his mouth to argue, eyes alight with anger, I simply continued talking. "As long as you're at Hogwarts, you're safe. As long as you're here, you can't be touched."

**AN: Yes, it's been a while.**

I want to thank all of my dedicated reviewers (however little amount you are) and dedicate this chapter and the next to you.  
I LOVE YOU ALL. :D

**xo**


	15. Kiss Me In Sweet Slow Motion

**AN: Disclaimer: **

**Well, we all know that if I owned HP then Sirius would NOT end up in Azkaban in the first place, he would NOT nearly die from the Dementors by the lake, he would NOT have serious (no pun intended) family difficulties with Bellatrix and therefore he would NOT fall through the Veil after she sent that curse at him. However, he WOULD marry me, he WOULD have my babies and he WOULD live with me in the countryside somewhere. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are all in Sirius Denial. Because 'denial' is not just a river in Egypt.**

**Okay, not my best, but heyho. :) ENJOY.**

Chapter 15

Dumbledore made the announcement a couple of days after Lily, James and myself left his office. They were still rather upset over the whole ordeal with dying in a few years. Well, obviously. Who wouldn't?

After the shock of the vision settled in them – not much, mind you – James and Lily spent most of their time trying to guess the name that they had given their child in the future.

"I'm not even sure if it's a real vision yet," I said to them a short time after we had left Dumbledore's office. We had taken refuge in the Room of Requirement after the Headmaster had given us permission to ignore classes for the next couple of days.

"That doesn't mean I don't want to know what I call my son in the future," Lily replied.

The Room had morphed itself into a comfortable living room and we had plonked ourselves on a few bean bags in the centre.

"How about Charles?" James asked after a moment of silence.

I shook my head.

"Too formal," Lily said, "Was it Ringo?"

"I am _not _naming my son after a member from _The Beatles_," James stated firmly. Lily 'humphed' and folded her arms across her chest. "Richard?"

"Steven?"

"David?"

"Michael?"

"Christopher?"

"Jason?"

"John?"

"Robert?"

"William?"

I was shocked at the speed that they were saying these names. It would 've taken me at least a few minutes to think of something nice, but they were just saying them as if they'd known what to call their children all of their lives.

That was when I heard a name that made me stop.

"Harry?"

If they noticed the stop, then they didn't say anything. They just continued to sprout names, more in the need to keep their minds on something than anything else, I think.



It continued this way for an age until they decided between themselves that no matter how many names they threw at me, I would never tell them.

The future was something that they had to shape themselves, even if they did have a friend that could tell them how it turns out.

Anyway, as I was saying...

Dumbledore made the announcement at dinner a few days after we had departed from his office.

The Great Hall was a bundle of chatter as per usual. I had taken to sitting by myself at the Slytherin table, not exactly keen on sitting with the rest of my year after I had become friends with a 'Mudblood' a few weeks ago.

I would have sat with Lily if I could, but it was near enough suicide if a Slytherin sat with Gryffindors willingly.

I was enjoying my meal of scrambled eggs when the whole Hall suddenly became silent. That could only mean one thing.

I focused my eyes towards Dumbledore, now stood with his arms raised above his head in a gesture for silence. Not that he needed it. All talking had ceased as soon as he had risen to his feet.

"Thank you," Dumbledore began, a smile settled on his face and blue eyes twinkling, "I will try to make this announcement as quick as possible so I am not refraining you from enjoying your wonderful meals." I could make out a hearty 'hear, hear' from the Gryffindor end of the Hall and smirked slightly at the thought of James and Sirius snickering in amusement. "It has come to my attention that many of you who have attended the Halloween Ball have become interested in the identities behind the masks of your fellow classmates.

"I have therefore come to a conclusion. Hogwarts School will be home to yet another ball." Murmuring filled the hall and Dumbledore patiently waited for the quiet to resume once more. "All who attended the previous dance will also attend this one and all costumes will remain the same. Yes, Miss Taylor, including the masks in which you wore. At exactly 11:12pm the same night, a very complicated spell will be performed and all masks and disguises will disappear.

"You will have approximately forty-five minutes to mingle with your fellow classmates when disguises are removed until curfew will be placed. I will now leave you to your meals."

He sat down in his seat once more and began eating whilst the Great Hall quickly filled with excited chatter.

"Can you believe it?"

"Another ball!"

"It's a pity we have to wear the same outfits."

The conversations continued, but I remained silent.

I would find out who he was. The mystery boy wouldn't be a mystery anymore.

And more importantly, he would know who I was.

How would he react when he found out that I wasn't a kooky Hufflepuff or an intellectual Ravenclaw or even a brave Gryffindor? How would he react when he found out that after all that had happened, he had been talking to a slimy Slytherin? How would he react when he found out that he had kissed a me of all people?

The time came sooner than I had hoped.

After all of the complaints to Lily about how I was so distraught over how I would never know who he was, when the time came, I wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow me up right there and then.

"What are you worried about?" Lily asked me as we were getting ready. Well, _she _was getting ready. I was biting my fingernails down to the wick.

"Lily," I said sympathetically, "Dear Lily... You may not know this, but..." I pointed to myself dramatically, "Slytherin Bitch _right_ here."



She shook her head and smiled.

"Of course I know who you are, Alana, don't be stupid. But you definitely sound it. Don't you realise? This is the whole reason behind the masks and disguises; so that you can find out what people are like _inside_. If he doesn't see how sweet and innocent you are behind the disguise, then he's not good enough for you."

I snorted when she said the word 'innocent' but sighed when she finished.

"I guess you're right," I told her and stood to grab my dress.

"Of course I am," she replied with a smirk, "I'm always right."

Lily and I made it to the Great Hall at around ten o' clock. We felt like there was no reason in mingling with tense conversation for three hours before the revelation begun.

The ball was already in full swing when we made our way to the hall and the doors flung open. The decorations were exactly the same and The Witching Hour had agreed to play for us once more.

The mystery boy was nowhere to be seen as we made our way through the doors. Lily left me with a reassuring 'Good luck' and walked towards the buffet table – most probably where James was.

As I wandered along the dance floor, the band once again began to play a slow tune. I smiled as I thought of how Mystery Boy had asked me to dance for the first time.

"Looking for me?"

I spun around to the source of the voice and I couldn't help the toothy smile that made it's way onto my face.

"Yes, actually, I was," I replied with a smirk, "Now are you going to be a gentleman and ask a lady to dance or am I going to drag you to the floor myself?"

He gave a hearty chuckle.

"A lady? I don't see a lady."

I smacked him playfully on the arm and pulled him to the centre of the floor where we swayed gently to the music. Once again, I was content in his arms.

We danced our hearts out for the hour that we were together. It spurred me on that in a few minutes he would finally know who I was – and that would most likely be the last time that we would see each other.

My mind turned to Sirius. Where was he? Was he – like me – dancing with a mystery person? Someone he liked so much but the nervousness of the secret identity niggled away at his insides, teasing him to such an extent that he felt like he was going to faint?

Dumbledore stood as the clock above the great hall struck 11:10pm and silence ensued instantly.

"Now, as I am sure you are aware, in a few moments your disguises will melt away to reveal your true identity. But, as a word of advice to you all, I would like to say something that a dear friend of mine said to me not very long ago. Inner beauty is much more difficult to see, but much more rewarding to find. In other words, if your partner that you are with at the moment does not turn out to be who you expect, do not fret. Remember the personality that you have found beneath the disguise.

"Good luck to you all."

He finally sat and the bell struck 11:12pm. This was it.

"Are you ready?" Mystery Boy asked and I gave a hollow smile.

"Do I have a choice?"



It was the weirdest sensation I have ever felt in my entire life. It wasn't painful – not at all, but the tingling sensation spread throughout my entire body, reaching to the top of my head and the tips of my toes. It made me want to giggle out loud and yet, at the same time, made me want to huddle in a ball and beg for it to stop. As soon as it had started, I could feel the sensation no longer.

I gazed at my feet, new found black curls sliding down my face and covering my eyes.

My disguise had been lifted and now it was only a matter of time before Mystery Boy turned and ran from the Great Hall in fear.

"If you want to leave, I understand," I mumbled quietly, "I wouldn't want to be with me either."

The gentle touch of a finger beneath my chin lifted my face towards the sky, but my eyes remained clenched shut.

"Alana, open your eyes."

I took a deep breath and slowly my eyelids removed themselves from each other.

With what I saw, I could have burst out crying.

Sirius stood there before me, grey eyes gleaming with happiness, his finger still attached to the bottom of my chin.

Tears began to cloud my vision, and when I spoke, it came out choked and raspy.

"I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so badly."

And that was when his lips met mine in a gentle kiss.

Fireworks exploded in my head, my every nerve cell tingling against my skin. His hands were like electricity on my hips as he pulled me - if possible - even closer to him.

We pulled away after what felt like a millennia, stupid goofy grins settled on our faces.

It was only at that moment that the Great Hall seemed eerily quiet. I looked over his shoulder as he pulled me to his chest in a tender hug. Every single pair of eyes in the hall were situated on us, mouths open in shock.

As my eyes observed the Hall, I noticed Lily in the crowd, bouncing up and down in excitement and pulling on James' arm as if her life depended on it. He simply looked towards us and smiled, secretly giving us thumbs up while the rest of the school continued to stare.

I had never received this much attention before, not for this reason anyway. When I was the 'Big Bad Slytherin', no one dared to stare at me too long, especially not the whole school. I had never felt anything like it before.

And, to be honest, I didn't mind. Especially when Sirius was holding me like he was.


	16. Nothing Like The Wizard Of Oz

**Disclaimer: ****Yeah, totally non pwnage dudes.**

The whole Great Hall seemed to explode at once. In less than a second, ever single student began to urgently talk to their neighbours in a frantic attempt to make sense of what was happening.

"Did my eyes just malfunction, or did the hotness that is Sirius Black _just _snog that... thing?!" said one.  
Golly, gee! Don't compliment me too much...

"A Gryffindor. And a Slytherin. A Gryfferin. A Slythindor," said another.

"Aww, that's so cute!" exclaimed yet another, while their friend replied with a dry, "Totally. I think I'm gonna hurl."

We simply smiled at each other goofily and gazed into each other's eyes. I'd say it was like a soppy romance novel, where the hero final wins the woman over and they ride off into the sunset, still remarkably on the back of the horse while not one of them is watching where they're going.

Minus the fact that it was nightfall already.

And that we had nothing at all between us to resemble a horse.

But I didn't care.

Not really. Well, yeah, I'm one of the main people to scoff when I see a couple of people snogging in a hallway somewhere. But that wasn't me, was it?

I was snogging in the middle of the Great Hall.

It was different now.

Dumbledore stood and the whole hall simmered into silence.

"Well," he began with a small glance in our direction, blue eyes twinkling like tiny fireworks, "It seems we have all had enough excitement for one night, not to mention it is way past your bedtime. I am sure Prefects and Heads will make sure that everyone is brought back to the dormitories safely. I do not want any students to loiter in the hallways." He looked straight at me over the tops of his glasses, and I shot him a confused look. He ignored me and gestured for the Hall doors to be opened.

Sirius and I said little to each other as we made our way out of the Hall. I think we were both still trying to process what had happened in the short time that we had found out the hidden truth.

We stopped as we reached the two separate corridors where we would part; me to the Slytherin House and himself to Gryffindor.

Again, we said nothing.

It seemed that in the space of an hour that we had been in the Great Hall, we had adopted the miracle of talking through our eyes.

_That was amazing_, he seemed to tell me, a small smile settling on his lips.

I smiled back, the small quirk rather infectious. _I know_, I tried to reply, _but I must admit, the stares were rather annoying after the first five hundred._

He chuckled at me slightly, so I could only hope that I had 'replied' correctly. Well, saying that, I could have told him that I wore purple underwear and liked to dress up as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer for all I know.

Stroking my hair slightly with one hand – the other held firmly on to my own – he leant down slightly and pressed a loving kiss to my forehead.

And with that, we parted.

The goofy smile would not leave my face no matter how hard I tried.

To be honest, I don't even know how I made it to the dormitories; my mind was still in the Great Hall – along with my dignity. I must have said the password at the right moment because the entrance opened. The problem hit me however, when I tried to step over the threshold. Like I was hit by an invisible barrier, I was thrown back from the Slytherin common room.

"What the..." I began, but soon trailed off with the evil cackle of laughter that erupted around me.

And that cackle could only belong to one person.

"For Merlin's sake, Narcissa, you crazy wench, what have I done this time?!" I yelled, but she only laughed louder.

"What have you done?" She turned back to her friends who laughed with her, "She wants to know what she's done." They all began to laugh hysterically.

I stood up slowly, inspecting the damage to my twisted ankle. I winced slightly at the pressure, but in only a few seconds I was able to place it on the ground next to my other one.

They continued to cackle and point, and with a humph I folded my arms.

I glanced down at the invisible watch at my wrist. "Whenever you're ready," I announced and the laughter came to an abrupt stop, an evil smirk instead playing on her thin, pale lips.

"Well, let's see..." she said and began to stroll towards me, walking straight through the force field that had kept me out only a few minutes previously.

With a snort, I realised the charm. It had been cast only to repel me. How... stupid.

"What?" I asked disbelievingly, "You're going to lay all the insults on thick with only your she-minions to watch? Get the whole house out if you want to play rough!"

"The Slytherin House do not need to see your betraying face," a male voice came from the entrance, "I believe that this is a sufficient amount of people to show you how much of a traitor you really are."

"What, again?" My voice sounded towards Lucius Malfoy and I mentally slapped a palm to my head. _For Merlin's sake, Alana! _I chastised myself, _now is _not_ the time for stupid comebacks! If you didn't realise there are about _eight_ of them and _one_ of you. Do you _want_ to spend the rest of your final year in the hospital wing?_

My eyes brightened slightly.

_You mean no more class? Bring it on, Slytherin scu-_

"What do you think _you_'_re_ smiling at?" one of Narcissa's cronies piped up, Cordelia if I wasn't mistaken. "Do you think this is a joke or something?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know, it's hard to tell at times... Take this morning for instance, when Narcissa oh, so pleasantly socked me one on the back of the skull I could have _sworn _it was an act of love. But now she's talking about showing me just how 'bad' I am. Unless it's got a kinky double meaning, _I'd _say she's changed her mind."

Cordelia looked at my through puzzled eyes.

"Huh?"

I rolled my own and gestured vaguely in her direction with my hand.

"Sarcasm, you wouldn't understand."

"Can we get the show on the road already?" another voice sounded.

I twisted around so quickly I cricked my neck, but that only added to the sudden cold glare I was giving to the owner.

"Snape, you greasy git. Why does it not surprise me that _you're _involved in this?"

"Maybe the fact that in all of this, _you're _the one who betrayed the Slytherin house," Lucius Malfoy replied whilst walking towards me to join his girlfriend. In only a few seconds, Severus was next to him. The look on his face was unreadable. Not like I was looking or anything...

"Hold the Portkey," I said in response, "'Betraying' the Slytherin house, you say? Because I snogged a Gryffindor?" My eyes widened slightly, though I felt far from surprised. "You know, I'd be shocked if you had a brain cell to share between you all. Do you even want to know how stupid you sound?"

"Look, Alana," Snape started, and I glared at the use of my first name. He never calls me that. Not now, not ever. "You know what you did... It's just _wrong_. He's a _blood traitor_ for Merlin's sake!"

"Oh, no, no, no, _no_, Sev!" I began and didn't even chastise myself when I used his long forgotten nickname. "You are _not_ doing this to me again! Don't even talk to me about blood traitors or, Mudbloods or, or... Anything for that matter! It's your fault I'm in this mess in the first place! If you had kept your stupid thoughts under lock and key like you were _good_ at, everything would be fine!"

I grit my teeth in annoyance as tears sprang to my eyes, but I swallowed the lump in my throat and glared at him as he opened his mouth once more.

"You can't _pin_ this on me, Aly!" he cried, throwing his arms wide, "You were my _friend_! I was meant to tell you everything because that's what friends do!"

"Friends?" I asked bewildered, "Friends?! Is _that_ what we were? And here I was thinking that you were a random outcast who wanted to cling to someone."

He had the decency to blush slightly, his cheeks tingeing pink.

"But it all went up in fifth year, didn't it Sev?" I continued, hands clenched at my sides, "You never know, we might still have been 'friends' if it wasn't for you. And you can't deny that no matter how much you try. But no. To you it was always looking out for number one – yourself."

"Well, Thomas," Malfoy interrupted, slightly amused, "That's the difference between you and everyone else here. You care about everyone – we only care about people that matter. And listen, sweetheart, that isn't you."

"Do you really think I give a damn, you worthless piece of flobberworm?" I asked, surprise settled on my features. "You've made it clear since the moment I even stepped foot into the Slytherin dorms that you hated me – and from this display of _true love_ I can tell it hasn't changed a bit. Guess what, Lucius? The feelings mutual."

It was obvious what was about to happen when Lucius' features hardened. With his platinum blonde hair and flawless skin, it wasn't hard to compare his ridiculously chiselled looks to an angel – but when the blue eyes narrowed, I half expected a devil's tale to come swishing out of nowhere.

"You are seriously pissing me off now, Thomas. You were never one of my favourite people to begin with – don't get on my bad side."

Now, to any normal person, the threat would have been clear. But, oh, no, I had to go and get all high and mighty. The conversation/insult exchange with Severus had left me riled up with tension that was just begging to be released. And by God, I'd do it any way possible.

"You mean this isn't your bad side? You look bad enough to me." I gestured towards his face which was now grotesquely squished into a glare, "I don't know how you stand it, 'Cissy." I turned my gaze to the girl by his side. She also seemed to be harbouring some unwanted tension and her palms were clenched fiercely at her sides. "Waking up to that mug every morning... I'd have heart attack!"

Lucius scoffed and stepped forward. We were almost stood directly in front of each other now.

"Maybe you should look in a mirror, darling. You've some room to talk – even if he is a blood traitor, Black's got some nerve to snog _you're _face."

"Well, if what you say's true, then at least I know Sirius likes me for my personality. Since you don't have one... Well, let's just say that I'm guessing it's only for the amount of galleons in your daddy's robe pocket." I snorted (which, I must say, was scarily un-ladylike) and glanced at Narcissa once more. A thin colouring of pink was settling on her cheeks. "Or maybe it's _something else_ in your daddy's robes that's got her riled up. Watch her, Lucius, she looks like a feisty one."

"Why, you little-"

* * *

"For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, for he's jolly good fellow... That nobody caaaan deeeennyyyyyy!!"

Sirius laughed uproariously.

"Come on guys," he said, holding onto a pillow for dear life, "you've sung that ten times already. Sleeps calling me, y'know."

"Yeah, because his lips are tired; he can't wait to dream so he can see Alana's 'sweet, perfect, angelic face again...'," Remus announced from the bed, coupling the statement with a collection of kissy faces, Peter joining in happily.

Sirius hurled the pillow at their heads and only laughed when it rebounded from Remus and hit Peter square in the face.

"Just for the record," he told James, "I never said that..."

"Course you didn't, Padfoot," James replied with a wry smile, "Of course you didn't."

The three remaining Marauders began to sing once again, the words becoming jumbled as they became more boisterous, taking to jumping on Sirius' bed as welling as yelling in his ear.

The laughter filled the Gryffindor Seventh year's dorm and before long, they were rolling on the crowded bed and holding onto their stomachs.

Remus sighed, a small smile on his face.

It was about time that the two were happy. He had been a friend of Sirius' since the start of school back in first year and they had been as close brothers ever since. He had seen the black haired boy go through relationship after relationship, not one of them meaning a thing to him more than just a girl to snog in the corridor's broom closet.

But as his mind was cast back to where Sirius reluctantly admitted that, yeah, maybe he thought Alana was cute, and, yeah, deep down, she might not be such a bad Slytherin after all, Remus realised that the fling between Alana and Sirius wasn't a fling at all. It was pure, unadulterated happiness.

When Remus thought of Alana, the smile on his face widened. They had been through a lot together in the short month and a bit that they had known each other and although the time was short, it was filled with jokes and tales that would last him a lifetime.

It made him see that he valued Alana as much as he would another one of his friends and as long as whatever happened made her happy, that was all that mattered to him. It only made his wince when he imagined her having to go back to the house that she was deemed to exist in and had no way of ever being accepted.

With a start, Remus sat upright, a swear word escaping his lips that would make his grandmother turn in her grave.

The boys stopped laughing at once, their gazes fixed on Remus.

"Moony? What's up?" Sirius asked, worry lacing his words.

"We are so stupid, guys," he muttered, jumping to his feet and running around blindly for a pair of jeans. "What house does Alana belong to?" he asked, as if talking to a bunch of five year olds.

"Slytherin," the three answered, still not catching on.

"And who there actually _likes_ Alana?" he asked again, throwing the old jeans on and buttoning them as fast as he could, grabbing his cloak and wand in the process.

"No one..." the boys answered again, and slowly realization dawned on them.

Alana was alone after openly kissing a 'blood traitor' in front of the whole school. If her recent actions of befriending a Mudblood weren't enough, this was going to make her life a whole lot more difficult.

* * *

"Look, Thomas," Lucius said, forefinger and thumb pinching at the bridge of his nose. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

I looked at him dryly, my hair falling and resting at the ground. I was currently upside down, trying my best to keep my dress from rising and showing my underwear to the world. Severus had his wand pointed at my feet, holding me in the air, but he was looking towards the floor as if ashamed of his actions. Pfft, yeah right. Probably found a spider to torment or something.

"And which way is this then?" I asked and gestured vaguely to my upside down form.

He looked at me in surprise.

"Oh, this isn't anything. I just think it's fun."

I groaned and went to fold my arms, but thought better of it at the last second and instead attempted to hold my skirt to my knees.

"So, Thomas," he continued, starting to pace and twirl his wand between his fingers. "You can get your stuff and get out. Or," he drawled out the word and bent to look me in the eye, "I can force you out, how does that sound?"

I rolled my eyes and continued my dry gaze.

"I didn't know you were into the forceful stuff, Lucius. What can I say? Tie me up baby, I'm all yours."

He scoffed at me and recoiled slightly in disgust.

I also heard a deflated sigh come from behind me.

"For Merlin's sake, Alana, it's always you and your sarcasm." Remus appeared beside me, wand also in hand, "Can't you be serious for once?"

Sirius appeared beside him and smiled.

"Nah, that's _my_ job," he said and I rolled my eyes.

"I feel so sorry for you," I said looking at Remus. I was still upside down, mind, so it was rather a good feat if I do say so myself. "That joke must be so overused by now."

Remus nodded sincerely, his tone almost mocking. "That it is, that it is..."

"I regret to inform you gentlemen that this is an invitation only party," Lucius interrupted, not at all sorry in his tone, "You'll have to leave I'm afraid."

"Nah, Luscious," James stated, coming to my other side, "our invite just got lost in the owl post that's all."

Lucius' eyes narrowed at the name, and Narcissa blushed lightly. I had to restrain a snort which I quickly turned into a laugh (in all honesty, it just made me sound even more like an injured animal).

"We'll just take the girl and go if you don't mind," Peter included, joining James.

"Whoa," I said from my upside down status, "What is this? A rescue or something? Please for the love of Merlin tell me that I'm not the scarecrow and they're the evil witches' munchkins."

Remus just looked at me.

"What Wizard of Oz did _you_ watch?" he asked, and I tried to shrug.

"Yeah, I'd totally call them the flying monkeys," Sirius continued, "They've got the whole 'I'll eat you now if you don't comply' look about them."

"Don't they turn good at the end?" Peter asked with a raised eyebrow.

"All the more reason why this is nothing like the Wizard of Oz." James completed, and with a quick _Expelliarmus_, Severus' wand was knocked from his grasp.

I fell unceremoniously to the floor, banging my head in the process.

"Wow," I said, as I sat up, adjusting my dress as to not... flash anything. "Way to make me feel loved, guys."

"Sorry," James muttered, and helped me to my feet.

I accepted his hand and closed my eyes as I felt the ground beneath my feet and the blood rush from my head.

"Oh, sweet mother of Merlin," I groaned and collapsed to the floor again. "Ground, I love you. Never leave me again." Stroking the floor as one would a kitten, I sighed happily. "Thanks guys," I added, and once more got to my feet.

The four were looking at me with raised eyebrows, and then as one they gazed to the floor.

I folded my arms. "You try and stay in the air upside down for half an hour and see how _you_ feel."

They nodded their heads and shrugged their shoulders in acceptance before turning once more to the Slytherins behind me.

Lucius stared at me, eyebrows narrowed.

"No more of these witty comebacks, Thomas. You are no longer a part of our house. That charm," he pointed to the entrance to the Slytherin common room, "is set to vanish when you finish your final year. Don't even try to enter – it's not so forgiving."

With a scathing look, he and the rest continued towards the common room.

"Whoa," I said, "Wait a minute. What about my stuff?"

He scoffed at me and didn't even turn around.

"You're probably best friends with the house elves, you filthy blood traitor. Get them to do your dirty work."

And with that, they left.

Severus' forlorn look was the last thing I saw.

**AN:****Heyyy guyz. ^_^  
Fo' shizzle.  
Anywayz.  
Sorry it's been a while since I actually updated rather than just rewriting.  
But I was bored (and a little upset today, go easy on me?) so I just started writing.  
And kind of didn't stop.  
So tell me what you think, dahlings!  
CiaoCiao!  
**LOVEYAZ.  
xoxox


End file.
